a middle school student killed, five people injured in an exchange of fire at an Iowa high school

A middle school student was killed and five people were shot and injured when a 17-year-old high school student opened fire in an Iowa school, authorities announced Thursday, January 4. The shooter, who was found “with a self-inflicted wound”had two weapons, including a shotgun, announced Mitch Mortvedt, a local official. “There are six victims, one of whom died. This person was a schoolboy”, he added. Four of the injured people are middle or high school students, the fifth is part of the administration, he said.

The events took place in the small town of Perry, about sixty kilometers from Des Moines, the state capital. The sheriff earlier reported that the presence of a shooter was reported around 7:37 a.m. local time. “Fortunately, there were very few high school students and teachers in the establishment” due to the early hour, and classes had not yet started, he added. According to local media, it was the first day of recovery after the winter holidays.