Iowa school shooter's parents say they had 'no inkling of horrible violence'

DES MOINES, Iowa — The parents of the shooter who opened fire at a rural Iowa high school last week, killing a middle-schooler and wounding seven others, said Monday they had "no inkling he intended the horrible violence" when they dropped him off at school that morning.

Jack and Erin Butler, the parents of 17-year-old Dylan Butler, released a statement through their attorney Monday. In the statement, the Butlers said that on their way to school their son had discussed future plans with them and "it felt like he was ready to get back to school after Christmas vacation and the start of a new semester."

"Dylan’s sister, our daughter, was in the school at the time of the shooting," they wrote. "We simply do not understand how this could happen and why Dylan chose to do what he did." 

According to authorities and school officials, Dylan Butler was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun when he opened fire at Perry High School on Thursday, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break.

Ahmir Jolliff, 11, was killed and high school principal Dan Marburger and six others, including two staff members and four teenage students, were injured. Butler died of a self-inflicted gunshot after the shootings, authorities said.

Butler's parents added that they "would never wish the harm and pain that Dylan’s actions caused on anyone and we could not have imagined that Dylan would carry out such a heinous act."

"Our family has to mourn and bury our son, and live with this terrible legacy," they said in their statement. "We cannot repay the grace we have been shown in public and private. We are helping authorities and will continue to help to provide answers to the question of why our son committed this senseless crime."

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Earlier Monday, Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said state investigators will consider the possibility of whether Butler may have been bullied, as some friends of his told The Associated Press.

“Not only that, but any and all angles that could lead to maybe answering part of why or all of why, the motive,” Mortvedt said. “Everything from (if Butler was bullied) to health to personal issues, whether it’s friends, family, school. If you can think of it, we’re trying to look into it.”

Mortvedt acknowledged that in murder-suicide investigations, it's not always possible to determine a motive. “That’s certainly something that we hope we can get to the bottom of," Mortvedt said.

On Friday, Mortvedt said in a news release that the investigation would review witness accounts and interviews. Investigators also seized "large volumes" of digital and social media evidence. On Monday, he also said that surveillance footage and body camera footage would be added to the "volumes and volumes" of information to be reviewed.

After the incident, Mortvedt had said Butler made a "number of social media posts in and around time of the shooting." He posted a photo of himself on TikTok shortly before the shooting, which appeared to be of him in a bathroom stall with a blue duffle bag by his feet. The caption read, "now we wait."

Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents also helped disassemble an improvised explosive device that investigators believe Butler is responsible for, according to Ron Humphrey, a special agent with the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office.

Mortvedt declined to say how Butler may have gotten access to the weapons or how he got a shotgun into the school.

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Uvalde foundation says it will reallocate award money because of lack of response

On Monday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds revised her order from last week that all flags on state grounds be flown at half-staff, extending it until sunset Thursday in honor of Ahmir, whose funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. that day at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Perry.

Businesses, individuals, schools, municipalities and other government entities also are encouraged to fly flags at half-staff, the governor's office said in a news release.

Also Monday, the Uvalde Foundation for Kids said it would alter plans to present awards to Marburger and Perry Middle School Associate Principal Adam Jessen "for their heroic efforts to save students" during the shootings.

The Dallas-based foundation describes itself as a "national nonviolence advocacy" nonprofit founded after the 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead. It said in a news release it had made "numerous email requests" to Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh and Perry school officials in connection with the planned awards.

The foundation said it had received no response and would present the award at a date to be announced later in addition to reallocating a stipend to end school violence that was to accompany the award.

"After several attempts to connect with city officials in this regard to no avail, we can only assume the city has other plans to recognize these heroes," the news release said.

Chris Cohea, a spokesperson for the city, said he had not heard of the awards or efforts to contact the city.

The news release from the foundation did not explain why it was planning to reallocate the stipend only two business days after the shootings. Daniel Chapin, founder and national director of the foundation, did not respond to a request for comment.

Philip Joens can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @Philip_Joens.