Several people were injured this Thursday in a shooting at an Iowa high school on the first day of classes after the Christmas holidays, according to authorities.
The shooting at Perry High School took place shortly after 7:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT) and resulted in "multiple victims," as announced by Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante in a press conference. press. The extent and exact number of injuries are still being determined.
Following the press conference, both CNN and NBC News reported that the shooter had died, citing law enforcement. NBC reported that the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Previously, ABC News had reported that at least one person had died, citing law enforcement officials. During the press conference, Infante neither confirmed nor denied this information.
The sheriff said the shooter had been identified, but offered no further information.
According to NBC, the perpetrator of the shooting could be a student at the institute.
Although there is no official information on the number of deaths or injuries, NBC stated that three people were injured, including two students and an institute worker. One of those people could be seriously injured, according to NBC.
FBI and ATF agents responded to the scene, and the US attorney general has been informed, according to a Justice Department spokesperson.
The shooting occurred on what was to be the first day of the spring semester, according to the school district's calendar. Perry, a town of about 7,900 residents, is located about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, the state capital.
Few students and teachers were in the building at the time, as classes had not yet started, Infante said, which may have reduced the number of victims.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who founded a biotechnology company, had planned to hold a rally in Perry but changed the event to an in-person prayer following reports of the shooting, a campaign spokesman said.
Iowa will hold the first state contest for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in 11 days.
"Pray for the Perry, Iowa community this morning," Ramaswamy said on social media platform X.
At least one person has died and several have been injured this Thursday in a shooting at an Iowa high school, according to ABC News, citing law enforcement officials informed of the situation.
The shooting took place at Perry High School on what was to be the first day of the spring semester, according to the school district's calendar. Perry, a town of about 7,900 residents, is located about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, the state capital.
The scene was "secured" at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. GMT), ABC reported, citing Dallas County officials. Police were expected to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. (1600 GMT).
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had planned to hold a rally in Perry, but changed the event to an in-person prayer after news of the shooting, according to a campaign spokesperson.
Iowa will hold the first statewide contest for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in 11 days.
