Ahmir Jolliff: 11-year-old victim of Iowa school shooting remembered as 'kind and vibrant' at funeral

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

PERRY, IOWA: A week after an older student shot and killed 11-year-old Ahmir "Smiley" Joliff at his Iowa school, hundreds of people bid him farewell on Thursday.

Perry locals crammed into a Catholic church and overflowed into another nearby church, where Jolliff's funeral was broadcast on television.

Perry community paid tribute to Ahmir Jolliff

The community remembered Jolliff as someone who had a "spirit bigger than his 11-year-old body could contain," in the words of Rev Andrea Brownlee.

"He had a vibrant soul. His catching smile and his endless energy are what most people have shared with me when sharing their thoughts about Ahmir," said Rev Brownlee of First Christian Church, according to the Associated Press.

"He was always on the move. He refused to stay in one place, seeking adventure and excitement in every aspect of his life." 

Ahmir was killed by a 17-year-old student who had a shotgun and a handgun before classes resumed on January 4, the first day back after winter break.

After injuring four students, the high school principal, two other staff members, and himself with a gunshot wound, Dylan Butler died.

Following the Iowa school shooting, elementary and middle school students in the 8,000-person city northwest of Des Moines will resume classes on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Although district officials have stated that the middle school and high school will not reopen until repairs are finished, the middle school cannot reopen until the high school's shared cafeteria has been repaired, as that is where the shooting took place.

'Ahmir was a firm defender of justice'

Speaking in front of a coffin made of blond wood and crowned with a floral wreath, Brownlee characterized Ahmir as someone who kept his family close, Fox News stated.

Ahmir, a sixth-grader who went by the name Smiley within his family, was a bully-resistant individual who defended his friends, according to Brownlee.

"Ahmir was not just a bright light or a drink of joy, he was a firm defender of justice," Brownlee said. "He stood up against bullies, supporting those who needed a voice and ensuring that kindness always prevailed."

His mother, Erica Jolliff, had previously said in an interview that her son was an extroverted young man who appeared to know everyone in Perry. Jolliff remarked, "He was so well-loved and he loved everyone."

Days following the shooting, Dylan Butler's parents released a statement in which they claimed to have never been aware of the "horrible violence" their son was plotting and that they were working with police to make sense of "this senseless crime."

"We are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable," Jack and Erin Butler said in the statement.