A 17-year-old gunman opened fire at a school in the small town of Perry, Iowa, killing a sixth-grader. Four other students and one adult were injured in the attack on Thursday morning (local time) and are in hospital, the responsible police authority announced at a press conference. One victim is in critical but not life-threatening condition.
According to initial findings, the perpetrator killed himself, it said. He was carrying a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun and had written numerous social media posts around the time of the crime. Law enforcement worked to preserve this evidence. The investigation into the motive was ongoing. Since school had not yet started at the time of the crime, there were not many students in the building.
Firearms are readily available in the United States. Attacks on schools and universities occur again and again. Commenting on the Iowa incident, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Our students and teachers deserve to know that their schools are safe places where they can focus on learning.” The US Congress must finally pass stricter laws to prevent gun violence.
