From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 4, 2024
High school shooting takes place in Perry, Iowa — police
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PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say there was a shooting at the city’s high school.
A woman who answered the Perry Police Department phone confirms the shooting at Perry High School but did not provide any further information.
An enormous number of emergency vehicles surround the building that houses the town’s middle school and high school.
Erica Jolliff says her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 a.m. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.
“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff says. “They won’t tell me nothing.”
The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Today was the first day back in school for students following the holiday break.
The shooting occurs with Iowa caucuses on the horizon and not far from where Republican candidates were campaigning.
Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned.
Dallas County’s Emergency Management Agency says a news conference will be held later.
Perry is about 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) miles northwest of Des Moines.
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