Ahmir Joliff: Sixth-grader killed in Ohio school shooting identified as distraught mom sought answers
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
PERRY, IOWA - The devastating Iowa school shooting that unfolded at Perry High School in Iowa on Thursday morning, January 4, has lef the community in mourning as authorities identify 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff as the victim of the horrific incident.
The shooter, 17-year-old Dylan Butler, took his own life after killing Ahmir and injuring six students, as well as the school's principal, Dan Marburger.
11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff falls victim to school shooting
Law enforcement initially withheld the identities of the victims, but it has now been disclosed that Ahmir, a student at Perry Middle School, lost his life in the tragic event. He succumbed to three gunshot wounds inflicted by Butler, and the Iowa State Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
The heart-wrenching accounts from Ahmir's mother, Erica Jolliff, depict the anguish of a parent desperately seeking information about the safety of her children during the chaotic aftermath of the shooting. "I just want to know that he´s safe and OK," desperate Jolliff said at the time. "They won't tell me nothing."
What was the motive behind the Iowa school shooting?
Butler, armed with an illegal pump-action shotgun and handgun, along with a rudimentary explosive device, carried out the deadly attack. The mass shooting prompted the evacuation of 1,785 students on their first day back after winter break.
Fellow classmates and those familiar with Butler's circumstances suggest that the shooter had reached a breaking point, allegedly snapping after enduring relentless bullying. The situation became unbearable for Butler when his younger sister became a target as well, with the lack of intervention from school officials being described as the "last straw" that pushed him over the edge.
Yesenia Roeder, 17, and Khamya Hall spoke out about Butler's history of getting bullied since elementary school.
"He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," said Hall. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no."
