Dylan Butler: Bullied Iowa school shooter plotted massacre after sister was targeted too, claims classmate
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
PERRY, IOWA: In the aftermath of the devastating Iowa school shooting at Perry High School on Thursday, January 4, perpetrated by 17-year-old Dylan Butler, distressing details emerge about the suspect's reported history of relentless bullying.
Classmates reveal that Butler, a senior at Perry High School, had endured bullying since elementary school, and his anguish intensified when his younger sister became a target as well, marking a tragic turning point that ultimately became 'the last straw' for the teenager.
Classmates' alleged bullying pushed Dylan Butler to his breaking point
Khamya Hall disclosed that the bullying escalated recently, with school officials allegedly failing to intervene. "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," Daily Mail reports.
The classmates contend that the relentless bullying became the tipping point for Butler, leading him to carry out the tragic incident that claimed one life and left seven others injured.
Dylan Butler made cryptic social media posts before Iowa school shooting
The shooting, which took place on the first day of classes after winter break, resulted in the death of a sixth-grader disclosed as 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, and left Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger among the injured.
Butler, armed with a pump-action shotgun and a handgun, both illegal for a 17-year-old to possess in Iowa, also had an undetonated explosive device in his possession. Hours before the shooting, Butler posted a TikTok video in what appeared to be the school bathroom, accompanied by a caption that read, 'Now we wait'.
The video featured the song 'Stray Bullet' playing in the background. Previous posts on the same social media account depicted Butler engaging in simulated gunfights using sticks.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, triggering a mass evacuation of 1,785 students. The incident left one student in critical condition, while Principal Dan Marburger underwent surgery for gunshot wounds. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and officials continue to investigate the distressing event.
