In the small town of Perry, Iowa, a day that was supposed to mark the end of winter break and a return to the routines of high school life, tragically turned into a day of chaos and fear. Perry High School, nestled in a community of approximately 8,000 residents, became the site of a shocking shooting incident early Thursday morning.
The incident unfolded as students were gathering for their first day back in school. Zander Shelley, a 15-year-old student, was in the hallway when he suddenly heard gunshots. In a moment of panic and quick thinking, Zander rushed into a classroom to seek shelter. According to his father, Kevin Shelley, Zander was grazed by bullets twice before he could find safety and text his father about the horrifying situation at 7:36 a.m. Kevin, a garbage truck driver, recounted his own terror upon receiving the message, saying, “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life.”
The police, alerted to the crisis at the school, responded with urgency. An enormous fleet of emergency vehicles quickly surrounded the building, which also houses the town’s middle school. The response was not just local; FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office were dispatched to the scene to aid in the investigation, led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Meanwhile, families of the students were gripped by fear and uncertainty. Erica Jolliff, a parent of two students at the school, relayed how her ninth-grade daughter was rushed off the school grounds at 7:45 a.m. However, an hour later, she was still desperately trying to locate her son Amir, a sixth grader. Her words, “I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” echoed the anxiety and desperation of many parents in the community.
Perry’s mayor, Dirk Cavanaugh, addressed the media, cautioning against speculation as the exact details of the incident, including the number of those involved, were still unconfirmed. This lack of information added to the growing concern in the community and among the families eagerly waiting for news about their loved ones.
Perry High School is part of the Perry Community School District, which serves 1,785 students. This peaceful town, about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, the state capital, was now thrust into the national spotlight, coincidentally close to where Republican candidates were campaigning amidst the Iowa caucuses.