Authorities in Perry, Iowa, have reported a shooting at Perry High School on Thursday, with the extent of injuries yet to be clarified. The Perry Police Department confirmed the incident, but details remain limited as of now. A woman answering the phone at the Perry Police Department acknowledged the shooting at Perry High School but refrained from providing additional information, as reported by the news agency AP.
Confirmation of the shooting came from a woman who answered the Perry Police Department phone, but further details were not immediately provided. The incident occurred at the building that houses the town's middle school and high school, with numerous emergency vehicles surrounding the premises.
Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Police expressed a lack of information on the shooting at the moment but assured an update later in the morning. A media staging area near the high school indicated the intensity of the situation.
Perry's Mayor, Dirk Cavanaugh, emphasised the absence of confirmed numbers regarding those involved. Concerned parents, like Erica Jolliff, anxiously awaited information about the safety of their children. Jolliff's ninth-grade daughter reported being rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am, and an hour later, the whereabouts of her sixth-grade son, Amir, remained uncertain.
“I just want to know that he's safe and OK,” Jolliff said. “They won't tell me nothing.”
Perry High School is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District, and Perry itself has a population of around 8,000 residents. The town is situated about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, adding to the urgency of the unfolding situation.
The shooting incident coincided with the Iowa caucuses and occurred not far from where Republican candidates were actively campaigning. Attempts to reach out to the Perry School Board's leadership and Superintendent Clark Wicks for immediate comments were unsuccessful.
As the community grapples with the aftermath, the Dallas County Emergency Management Agency announced a press conference later in the morning to provide further updates on the incident. Perry remains under heightened attention, and concerned parents and residents await more information on the unfolding situation in their community.
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