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Sixth grader killed in Iowa high school shooting identified as victim count increases

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Sixth grader killed in Iowa high school shooting identified as victim count increases


The sixth grade student killed in a mass shooting at an Iowa high school on Thursday has been identified, as authorities increased the number of victims reported in the “horrific” incident.

Ahmir Jolliff, 11, was shot three times in the shooting at Perry High School, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a release on Friday.

The Perry Middle School student was one of eight victims in the shooting, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Friday, increasing the previously reported number of victims by two.

Seven people — three staff members and four students — “received wounds or injuries of varying degree,” the agency said.

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Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, one of the staff members injured in the shooting, remains in critical condition, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The principal has been hailed as a hero.

“The investigation thus far confirms Principal Marburger acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students,” the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.

Two other students remain hospitalized while the other victims have since been treated and released, the agency said.

The suspected shooter –17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at the high school — died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

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He was found dead by responding officers with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun, according to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation.

A “rudimentary” explosive device was also located in the school and rendered safe, Mortvedt said.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive.

The investigation remains ongoing.

“Investigators have seized large volumes of digital and social media evidence that will take time to review,” the Iowa Department of Public Safety said. “Background investigations, as well as eyewitness accounts and victim interviews, are continuing.”

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The agency said the Division of Criminal Investigation’s report will be submitted to the Dallas County Attorney’s Office “to determine what additional course of action, if any, should be undertaken.”

During a press briefing on Friday, Perry Community School District Superintendent Clark Wicks would not comment on the suspect’s disciplinary record or reports that he was bullied.

“We care about every kid. We take every bullying situation seriously. And our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere,” he said. “But I’m not going to comment on this individual case.”

The school district remains closed in the wake of what Wicks called the “horrific incident.”

Wicks said the elementary and middle schools will reopen as early as Jan. 12. High school students will not return until after next week.

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“There is some damage to the high school and that’s going to take some time to clean and repair,” he said. “We want the students to be able to come in here and see that it looks like Perry High School.”

Perry is located in the suburbs northwest of Des Moines.

The shooting occurred before the school day had started, and there were very few students and faculty in the building.

Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.



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Elections live updates: Key races to watch in California, Iowa, Montana and New Jersey primaries

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Elections live updates: Key races to watch in California, Iowa, Montana and New Jersey primaries


Live Coverage

In California, competition is fierce for the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral nominations. Iowa, Montana and New Jersey have open U.S. Senate seats. In New Jersey, a silent congressman could lose his House seat.

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Iowa joins wave of states forcing porn sites to verify users’ ages

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Iowa joins wave of states forcing porn sites to verify users’ ages



Beginning July 1, Iowans must verify they are adults to access porn websites.

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Iowa will require porn websites to verify users are at least 18 under a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. 

The Hawkeye State joins at least 25 other states, including Kansas and Nebraska, in requiring age verification for adult content in an effort to prevent minors from accessing it. 

House File 864 is modeled after a Texas age verification law the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in a 6-3 decision in June. The measure will apply to websites or apps if at least one-third of their content is pornographic. 

Beginning July 1, the law will require the websites to verify a user’s age using government-issued identification, financial documents or other documents that are “reliable proxies for age.” Age verification may also be performed by third parties or through any “commercially reasonable and reliable method.” 

The law states websites and third parties “shall not retain, sell, lease or otherwise disseminate any identifying information of an individual subject to reasonable age verification unless retention or dissemination of the identifying information is required by law or a court order.” 

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It also requires third parties and websites to use “reasonable methods given the person’s scope of business to secure all data collected and transmitted” during the age verification process.  

Under the new law, Iowa’s attorney general can sue companies in violation of the law. Violators could face fines up to $1,000 for each time an individual accesses a site in violation of the law. Civil penalties for providers are capped at $10,000 per day.

Iowa Senate lawmakers unanimously approved the measure while the House advanced it 82-2.

Rapid Response Politics Reporter Maya Marchel Hoff can be reached at mmarchelHoff@usatodayco.com. You can find her on X (formerly Twitter) at @mmarchelhoff.

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Iowa Democratic Senate primary: Wahls, Turek make final push before election

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Iowa Democratic Senate primary: Wahls, Turek make final push before election


DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Iowa’s primary election is Tuesday, and candidates across the state are making their final push to voters.

One of the most closely watched contests is the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. The winner will advance to November’s general election to compete for Senator Joni Ernst’s seat.

Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls and State Representative Josh Turek are competing for the Democratic nomination.

Wahls spent Monday in Des Moines speaking with voters about the issues they want addressed in Washington.

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“It’s time for change. We’ve been talking about it from day one. Iowans have been failed by leaders in both parties for far too long,” Wahls said. “In order to get the change that we need, we need a leader and a fighter who’s willing to challenge the broken status quo and clean up the corruption in Washington DC.”

Turek toured the state during the final days of the race. He was in Sioux City Friday and said he will represent working class Iowans if elected.

“I come from a working class family, a working class community, somebody that’s gone through a lot of hardships, a lot of struggle, both on the economic and on the health care side,” Turek said. “I think what’s fundamentally wrong with DC right now is we’ve got enough millionaires up there. I’m the only one in this race that’s not a millionaire.”

For the first time in more than a decade, Iowa will have an open U.S. Senate seat.

While campaigning, candidates have heard concerns ranging from affordability and housing costs to agriculture and water quality.

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Polls open Tuesday morning across Iowa.

Isabella Warren covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email her at isabella.warren@kcrg.com; and follow her on Facebook at Isabella Warren TV on X/Twitter@isabellaw_gray, and on Instagram@IsabellaWarrenTV.

Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.





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