There is a police presence at Perry High School in response to reports of a shooting in Perry, Iowa. (Credit: ThePerryNews.com / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
A high school principal in Iowa who was critically wounded in a school shooting while protecting students earlier this month has died, according to his family.
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger died Sunday, his family announced on a GoFundMe page. Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory confirmed the death to The Associated Press.
“Although the news has not fully set in yet, Dan Marburger gave the ultimate sacrifice,” the GoFundMe page said. “After 10 days, he lost his battle and this tragedy took his life.”
The shooting unfolded in the cafeteria at Perry High School just after 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, the first day students returned from winter break.
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Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger died Sunday from critical injuries he sustained while protecting students during a shooting at the school on Jan. 4, his family said.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)
An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The shooter, identified as a 17-year-old student at the school, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School on Thursday Jan. 4 in Perry, Iowa.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The day after the shooting, the state Department of Public Safety said Marburger “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”
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Marburger’s wife Elizabeth posted to the family’s GoFundMe that her husband died around 8 a.m. Sunday.
A 17-year-old student at the school was identified as the shooter. He was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.(AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)
“He fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever,” she wrote.
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Perry is a town of about 8,000 residents. The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District.
Once again, the NFL pre-draft circuit is in full effect, as teams spread out their staff all over the country to try and ensure they view as many pro days as physically possible. With some of the most substantial schools being next up on the schedule, it is going to draw national attention from the media, especially with results from the top prospects and potentially some passing drills from the quarterbacks.
Among the plentiful news coming out of these events is some intriguing meetings from the New Orleans Saints, with one of the most recent being Illinois guard Josh Gesky, who they met with at the school.
Gesky had an extremely impressive 2025 season when it comes to the metrics, allowing only 1 sack and 12 pressures, while only having 1 penalty tied to his name. While his run blocking left a bit to be desired, he has shown promise there in previous years, and it is something he has been solid at in various years.
At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, he has great size and has quite a few distinctions during his time at Illinois. He was listed as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2023, an Academic All-Big Ten from 2022 to 2025, and was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention from 2023 to 2025. These types of things certainly factor into potential draft selections, and with the Saints needing another guard, Gesky could be an option for them in 2026.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday morning as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ events to voice their concerns about the current administration.
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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest
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“I’m out here today because what’s happening in our government is completely trash,” Donna Sipes told WRTV. “It’s wrong. We need to do something about it.”
“I’m tired of every single day when the TV comes on to see what stupid thing he’s done next,” Lindi Marti said.
WRTV
Attendees noted the growing popularity of the demonstrations.
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“This is my fourth one to come to. I didn’t come to all of them when it was really cold, but I’m glad to see that they are getting a lot more people out here every time,” Marti added. “It seems like there’s more and more coming.”
Demonstrators highlighted specific foreign policy concerns, including the administration’s handling of the war in Iran.
“We’re bombing the heck out of them. We’re killing civilians,” Marti’s husband said. “We’re getting ready to send our Marines.”
WRTV
Others focused on the administration’s handling of immigration.
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“That’s what I’m concerned about,” Reverend Kenny Little told WRTV. “Little kids, they’re taking them away from their family. And I’m just one of those people, I think everyone got rights.”
Indiana medical students also attended the rally to speak out against changes to the healthcare system.
“We’re really worried about the attacks on the health care system in general, but with Medicaid… current estimates range from anywhere from 325,000 to 450,000 Hoosiers will lose coverage by 2032,” Wade Catt said with concern.
WRTV
With midterm elections approaching later this year, attendees emphasized the importance of now taking action at the ballot box.
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“If we don’t vote, then things are gonna not, they’re gonna stay the same,” a protester said.
Meanwhile, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith says he’s happy to see Hoosiers exercise their First Amendment right to protest.
However, he takes issue with the idea that President Trump is acting like a king. Beckwith says the fact that people have the freedom to protest is proof that the president is not acting like a tyrant.
He acknowledges that bridging the gap between the sides is probably an uphill battle, but believes communication is key.
“I think when you sit down with people face to face, you’re confronted with humanity. There’s another human sitting across that table from you and talking to you. And so, all I have to say, I think that’s probably the thing I would encourage all Hoosiers to do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t agree with somebody or if you don’t like somebody, why don’t you try grabbing coffee with them? And give it 30 minutes, and just see what happens.’ I bet most of the time people will walk away with a much softer heart and spirit towards that person before they came in,” Beckwith said.
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Beckwith is currently on a 92-county tour of the state. He says all sides are welcome to attend his events.
Iowa Colony police say a caller saw a man go underwater in the Meridiana subdivision and did not resurface.
Police Lights (KPRC/Click2Houston.com)
IOWA COLONY, Texas – Iowa Colony police recovered the body of a man Saturday night after witnesses reported seeing him go underwater in a retention pond in the Meridiana subdivision, authorities said.
Officers were dispatched around 7:04 p.m. to a pond behind the 10400 block of Kahlo Court after a caller reported a man was swimming, submerged and did not resurface, according to the Iowa Colony Police Department.
Police said responding officers immediately began searching the area. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Colony Fire Department and Manvel Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Fort Bend County Dive and Water Rescue Team was called in to help.
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Divers with the Fort Bend County team located the man around 10:10 p.m. and pronounced him deceased, police said.
The man’s identity and the cause of death have not been released. Police said no foul play is suspected and the investigation remains ongoing.
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About the Author
Christian Hudspeth
Christian Hudspeth is a Houston native who joined KPRC 2 News in December 2025. Christian began his news career at KTRK in 2022 before moving to newsrooms in Waco, Texas (KXXV), Las Vegas, Nevada (KTNV), and now back to H-Town. He earned his BA at the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication in 2023.