There were “multiple gunshot victims” from Thursday’s shooting at a high school in the midwestern US state of Iowa, according to local authorities. They added that the event had ended but did not say whether anyone had been killed.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 am (1330 GMT), sparking a massive police response as armed units and emergency vehicles raced to Perry High School, where classes were not yet in session.
“We are still unclear exactly how many are injured or what the extent of those are, but we are working on that right now. There is no further danger to the public,” Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante told reporters gathered at the school.
Broadcaster NBC reported that the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, citing multiple law enforcement officials.
“An officer first arrived within seven minutes of (a radio) activation and located multiple gunshot victims,” Infante said.
He said that there were “very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome, in that sense.”
He added that the authorities had identified the shooter, but didn’t give any further details, including on any arrest or deaths.
“The community is safe. We’re just now working backwards, trying to figure out everything that happened,” Infante said.
CNN reported that Thursday was scheduled to be the first day of classes for the new semester, according to the school district’s calendar.
Perry is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the state capital, Des Moines.
Plagued by school shootings
In the United States, where there are more firearms than people, gun violence is a common occurrence and any attempts to curb its spread are invariably met with strong political opposition.
The Gun Violence Archive, a nongovernmental group, lists three mass shootings that have occurred in the nation so far this year. It defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more persons are either killed or seriously injured.
Last year ended with a total of 656 such shootings.
In particular, school shootings have come to symbolize the nation’s political impasse.
A guy opened fire on 19 pupils and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022.
The country’s first competition to kick off the primary season for the 2024 presidential election is the Iowa caucus, which is less than two weeks away from the Perry shooting.
Although no legislative action is anticipated, guns are likely to be a hot topic of discussion during this election season.