����vlog

WITH BREAKING NEWS. WOKE UP ANY NORMAL MORNING GETTING READY, GOING TO GO SEE PEOPLE WE HADN’T SEEN IN WEEKS. I WAS LIKE NO WAY. LIKE THAT COULDN’T HAPPEN. LIKE YOU GUYS JUST HEARD SOMETHING AND THEN NOPE, THAT’S WHAT SHE HEARD. AND THAT’S IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER. SHE HEARD THREE GUNSHOTS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN POINTED AT HER DIRECTION. I JUST KNOW HE GOT GRAZED BY A BULLET. THAT’S ALL I KNOW. I. JUST FOUND OUT. I DIDN’T KNOW TO THINK OF ANY OF THEM IN THAT SITUATION. IT’S JUST HORRIFYING. THEY PULLED UP AND THEN SAW THE STUDENTS RUNNING OUT, AND SO THEY JUST DECIDED TO JUST GET OUT OF THERE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY A NIGHTMARE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE SADNESS KNOWING THAT KIDS SITTING BEHIND ME WERE SOON TO FIND SOMETHING OUT THAT WAS GOING TO BREAK THEIR HEARTS AND RESHAPE THEIR WORLDVIEW. OFFICER FIRST ARRIVED WITHIN SEVEN MINUTES OF THAT ACTIVATION AND LOCATED MULTIPLE GUNSHOT VICTIMS. THE PRINCIPAL CAME OUT AND SAID, SIT TIGHT, HOLD YOUR KIDS. THERE’S BEEN AN INCIDENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING. LIKE THIS. ALL OF OUR HEARTS ARE HEAVY TODAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF PERRY. AFTER A SIXTH GRADER IS KILLED AND FIVE OTHER PEOPLE ARE HURT IN A SHOOTING THIS MORNING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS THE FIRST DAY BACK FROM WINTER BREAK FOR STUDENTS. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR. A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT WAS KILLED. FOUR OTHER STUDENTS WERE HURT. SO WAS THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DAN MARBURGER. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SUSPECTED 17 YEAR OLD SHOOTER SHOT AND KILLED HIMSELF. ����vlog HAS HAD A TEAM OF JOURNALISTS IN PERRY ALL DAY THAT INCLUDES OUR JODI LONG AND LAURA TERRELL. THEY’RE ANCHORING OUR LIVE TEAM COVERAGE AND JOINING US NOW WITH WHAT AUTHORITIES HAVE CONFIRMED SO FAR. LADIES. YEAH, BEN AND STACY, IT’S BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAK, TRAGIC DAY. YOU KNOW, IT’S HARD TO REALLY FIND THE RIGHT WORD TO DESCRIBE THE FEELING IN THIS TOWN OF PERRY. I’VE HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH PARENTS WITH THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVING A STUDENT INSIDE THE SCHOOL WHEN THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE. AND I HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH THEM THIS EVENING. WHO TELL ME AT THIS HOUR IT’S JUST BEGINNING TO SINK IN. THEY’RE REALLY REALIZING THE MAGNITUDE AND THE GRAVITY OF OF OF THIS EVENT THAT UNFOLDED TODAY IN THIS TOWN. AND THEY’RE HUGGING THEIR CHILDREN A BIT TIGHTER TONIGHT. THEY SURE ARE A LOT OF PAIN. A LOT OF DESPAIR OVER PERRY. WE TALKED TO A LOT OF HEARTBROKEN STUDENTS, PARENTS TODAY WHO SAW THINGS. THATRILLIONEALLY NO ONE SHOULD EVER SEE. BUT WE ALSO HEARD STORIES ABOUT HEROES, ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS WHO RAN INTO THE SCHOOL, ABOUT A GAS STATION CLERK WHO LOCKED THE DOOR AND HELPED STUDENTS SHELTER IN PLACE. ABOUT A FATHER WHO SHOWED UP, SAW THE BLOODSHED, AND TRIED TO HELP. WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE STORIES WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT IN OUR EXTENDED COVERAGE. BUT FIRST, WE WANT TO GET TO ����vlog AMANDA ROOKER, WHO HAS MORE ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT AUTHORITIES MADE AT 3:00 THIS AFTERNOON. AMANDA. RIGHT. LAURA JODI HEART BREAKING NEWS IN PERRY TONIGHT. WE LEARNED THAT ONE SIXTH GRADE PERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT HAS DIED, WAS SHOT AND KILLED TODAY. THERE WERE FIVE OTHER VICTIMS. ONE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, FOUR OTHER STUDENTS THAT WERE SHOT AND INJURED. TODAY. WE DON’T KNOW THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THOSE VICTIMS. WE KNOW AS OF 2 P.M. TODAY, ONE OF THE VICTIMS WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE OTHERS WERE STABLE. DURING TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT SAID THAT POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AT 737 THIS MORNING OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTING THREAT FROM AN EMERGENCY RADIO IN THE SCHOOL. DISPATCHERS WERE ALSO TAKING SEVERAL 911 CALLS. OFFICERS ARRIVED IN ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES AND FOUND STUDENTS EITHER SHELTERING IN PLACE OR RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THEY FOUND THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER. THEY’VE IDENTIFIED HIM AS 17 YEAR-OLD DILLON BUTLER, A STUDENT AT PERRY HIGH BUTLER WAS DEAD WHEN OFFICERS ARRIVED. HE DIED FROM A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND. LAW ENFORCEMENT SAY THEY FOUND HIM WITH A PUMP ACTION SHOTGUN GUN AND A SMALL CALIBER HANDGUN. THEN THERE WAS ALSO WHAT DCI CALLED A, QUOTE, IMPROVISED RUDIMENTARY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. THEY SAY THAT WAS HANDLED AND DETERMINED TO BE SAFE. DCI SAYS THE SHOOTER MADE CONCERNING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE SHOOTING. BUT RIGHT NOW, NO MOTIVE HAS BEEN RELEASED. THEY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT LED TO THIS INCIDENT. NOW, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS THE STATE OF IOWA IS PROVIDING ALL THE RESOURCES IT’S ABLE TO THE FULL RESOURCES OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN THE RESPONSE. AND, OF COURSE, THE COMMUNITY’S RECOVERY FROM THIS TRAGIC EVENT. THE MENTAL HEALTH REGION HAS SOCIAL WORKERS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WILL PROVIDE COUNSELING SERVICES FOR THE STUDENTS, THE FAMILIES AND THE STAFF. NOW, JODI LARA CRAM, AS YOU MENTIONED, EMOTIONS ARE HIGH HERE IN THE COMMUNITY OF PERRY. JUST IN BETWEEN OUR COVERAGE, MY PHOTOGRAPHER AND I WERE IN JUST THE CASEY’S GAS STATION WHEN A MOM WALKED IN AND WAS TALKING TO THE CLERK JUST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. AS SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER SON, WHO WAS INSIDE THE SCHOOL JUST NOW, KIND OF TALKING WITH HER KIDS ABOUT WHAT THEY PROCESS. JUST AS A MOM, SHE BROKE DOWN INTO TEARS TALKING ABOUT HEARING A CHILD RECOUNT, HEARING GUNSHOTS INSIDE THE SCHOOL RECOUNT ACTUALLY BEING GRAZED BY BULLETS, AND NOW JUST SO, SO LUCKY AND FEELING SO BLESSED THAT THEY ARE HANDLING THIS WELL. THAT THAT THEY ARE OKAY. BUT THEN ALSO GRAPPLING WITH SOME OTHERS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE OKAY AS WE ARE STILL TRYING TO LEARN INFORMATION ABOUT ABOUT THOSE OTHER VICTIMS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED. IF WE LEARN ANYTHING MORE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS HERE FOR NOW. JODI LAURA. ALL RIGHT. AMANDA. THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT’S REALLY THE CONTRAST OF IT ALL. THE HEARTBREAK OF TODAY. IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY BACK TO CLASS FROM WINTER BREAK FOR THESE STUDENTS HERE AT PERRY SCHOOLS. AND INSTEAD, IT JUST TURNED INTO A HEARTBREAK SITUATION. TOTALLY SHATTERING. UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR, THEIR POSITIVITY LEADING INTO THIS DAY, ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS WHO HAD LOVED ONES GOING TO THAT SCHOOL OR WHO WORKED AT THAT SCHOOL AS A WARNING IN THIS NEXT STORY, SOME OF THE IMAGES ARE GRAPHIC. WE HAVE ALL SAID THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN HERE. NOW IT HAS THIS TIME RATTLING THE TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY OF PERRY. IT IS ABSOLUTELY A NIGHTMARE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. I’M SORRY. I’M JUST REALLY UPSET. JODI BIRTHS. 15 YEAR OLD STEPSON ZANDER SHELLEY WALKED INTO PERRY HIGH SCHOOL THIS MORNING AND LEFT WITH TWO BULLET WOUNDS TO HIS BACK AND ARM. NOT LONG AFTER THE SOPHOMORE SAYS HE WAS SHOT IN THE SCHOOL’S HALLWAY BEFORE RUNNING INTO A CLASSROOM. I’M OUT OF HARM’S WAY. IT IS TOUGH. IT IS VERY TOUGH. IT’S OVERWHELMING. LIKE THE PAIN IN YOUR HEART IS JUST OVERWHELMING. SETH DILLINGER’S TWO YOUNGER SIBLINGS HAD JUST GOTTEN DROPPED OFF AT THE SCHOOL MOMENTS BEFORE THE SHOOTING BEGAN. ON THE WAY OUT OF THE TRUCK, THEY SAW THE KIDS COMING OUT OF SCHOOL. THAT’S WHEN THEY KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT. SO THEY JUST HOPPED BACK IN THE TRUCK. DILLINGER’S YOUNGER COUSIN WAS INSIDE AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING AND HEARD SEVERAL SHOTS. SHE SAID THAT SHE JUST IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING. THE SHOTS CAME FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL. THAT’S WHEN SHE MADE HER WAY OUT THE BUILDING AND, UH, GOT PICKED UP, MADE IT HOME. FAMILY MEMBERS CONSIDERING THEMSELVES LUCKY AND THEIR LOVED ONES MADE IT OUT SAFE. I’M JUST GLAD THEY’RE OKAY, I REALLY AM. I’M GLAD THEY’RE OKAY. AS FOR 15 YEAR OLD ZANDER, SHELLEY, THE STUDENT WHO WAS INJURED IN THAT SHOOTING, HE WAS TAKEN TO METHODIST HOSPITAL, WHERE HE IS NOW BEING TREATED FOR HIS INJURIES. JUST BEFORE THE 6:00 NEWSCAST, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH HIS DAD, KEITH SHELLEY, AND HE SAYS, JODI, I JUST WANT TO BE WITH MY SON TONIGHT. I ALMOST LOST HIM TODAY. IT’S FINALLY BEGINNING TO SET IN AND I JUST WANT TO BE WITH HIM. SO AS A PARENT, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH. AND IT’S IT’S JUST SOMETHING SO HEARTBREAKING THAT SO MANY FAMILIES HERE IN THE TOWN OF PERRY HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH TODAY. LAURA. SO MANY PARENTS FEELING THAT WAY TODAY AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO AREN’T PARENTS AND JUST KNEW SOMEBODY IN THE SCHOOL. THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS HUGE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE FELT THAT TODAY THERE’S A LOT OF PRAYER VIGILS TONIGHT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST WANT TO COME TOGETHER. THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING. SO WE’RE GOING TO GO NOW TO KAYLA JAMES. WE’LL START WITH HER. AND SHE HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH THE PASTOR, WHO IS ALSO A BUS DRIVER, WHO RECOUNTS THE MOMENT WHEN HE WAS IN ROUTE TO SCHOOL TO DROP OFF HIS STUDENTS. THERE, KAYLA. YEAH. JODI. LAURA. RICK GATES IS THE PASTOR OF CROSSROADS CHURCH HERE. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, HE WAS DRIVING ON HIS BUS ROUTE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IN FACT, HE SAYS HE HAD JUST DROPPED OFF HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. MANY NIGHTS BEFORE. SO LIKE YOU SAID, THAT RIPPLE EFFECT, HE’S FEELING IT LIKE SO MANY OTHER IN THIS COMMUNITY. HE AND THOSE HERE AT CROSSROADS CHURCH QUICKLY WENT INTO ACTION, SET UP FOR A PRAYER VIGIL, NOT JUST FOR THEIR CHURCH MEMBERS, BUT FOR THE PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS WHO TRULY FELT THAT SCARE TONIGHT NEVER HAS MY PASTOR’S HEART HURT SO MUCH FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THE PEOPLE. OF PERRY, A TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF 7900 FOR THE FAMILIES AFFECTED, AND PASTOR RICK GATES SAYS FOR THE STUDENTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN, LIKE THOSE ON HIS BUS THIS MORNING, SADNESS. UM. KNOWING THAT KIDS SITTING BEHIND ME WERE SOON TO FIND SOMETHING OUT THAT WAS GOING TO BREAK THEIR HEARTS AND RESHAPE THEIR WORLDVIEW, GATES, WHO IS ALSO A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER, SAYS HE LEARNED WHAT HAPPENED DURING HIS ROUTE THURSDAY MORNING. I HAD JUST DROPPED OFF A FEW KIDS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN THE PRINCIPAL CAME OUT AND SAID, SIT TIGHT, HOLD YOUR KIDS. GATES ARRIVED AT CROSSROADS CHURCH SOMETIME AFTER HE WAITED WITH THE STUDENTS AND FOLLOWED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN HE ARRIVED, HE AND HIS CHURCH MEMBERS KNEW A PRAYER VIGIL WAS NEEDED. WE KNEW THAT WE NEEDED TO RESET THIS PLACE TODAY BECAUSE WE GOT TO DO THIS TONIGHT. WE CAN’T NOT DO IT. SO THEY TRANSFORMED THEIR CHURCH FROM THEIR MONTHLY CARE CLOSET SET UP WITH TABLES FULL OF CLOTHING TO ROWS OF CHAIRS LINED UP, READY AND WAITING TO HELP ANYONE WHO NEEDS A PLACE TO GO. NO MATTER WHERE THEY STAND WITH THEIR FAITH. IF SOMEBODY’S NOT AT THAT POINT IN THEIR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, THAT’S OKAY. UM, THEY CAN JOIN US AND BE BLESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. IN TONIGHT’S VIGIL BEGINS AT SEVEN. PASTOR GATES AGAIN SAYING EVERYONE IS WELCOME IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES, WE HAVE SEEN SOME CARS DRIVE IN WITH PEOPLE GETTING OUT AND HEADING INSIDE THE CHURCH. SO CLEARLY YOU CAN SEE AN HOUR BEFORE IT BEGINS THAT THIS VIGIL, LIKE THE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO CLEARLY NEEDED, WE’RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO THE STUDIO. STACEY. BEN. ALL RIGHT. KAYLA. THANK YOU. AND AS YOU HEARD IN KAYLA’S STORY, CHURCHES QUICKLY ORGANIZED EVENTS TONIGHT IN RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTING THIS MORNING. AND WE DO HAVE A CREW AT ONE PRAYER EVENT RIGHT NOW AT WEST PARK. THE VIGIL IS ORGANIZED BY THE PERRY MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION. OUR ����vlog REPORTER, OPHELIA JACOBSON, IS THERE. SHE TELLS US THAT CHURCHES THAT HAD PLANNED SEPARATE VIGILS TONIGHT COMBINED TO BE ALL TOGETHER HERE IN WEST PARK. THEY SAY THEY WANT THIS VIGIL TO BE A BEACON OF LIGHT. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF PRAYER AND SINGING. THEY’VE INVITED ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK TO DO SO. AS YOU CAN SEE, ONE GENTLEMAN IS UP THERE DOING SO RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE ALSO THERAPY DOGS, AS WELL AS CANDLES FOR PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. IT’S A HUGE TURNOUT FOR THIS EVENT. PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND THE COMMUNITY IN THIS TIME. ONE FAITH LEADER, EVEN TOLD THE CROWD TO LOOK AROUND AND GIVE WHOEVER YOU SEE A BIG HUG. AND SOMETIMES JUST THAT SHOWING OF SUPPORT CAN OBVIOUSLY MEAN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. A HUG FROM SOMEBODY WHO CARES ABOUT YOU AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY RALLYING BEHIND THE PRINCIPAL OF PERRY HIGH. HIS NAME IS DAN MARBURGER, ����vlog BEAU BOWMAN TELLS US MORE ABOUT WHO HE IS AND HIS RECOVERY. HE BO. STACY BEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT TOLD US EARLY IN THE DAY THAT A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR WAS ONE OF THE VICTIMS HERE IN PERRY. WE’VE SINCE BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM. THAT THAT IS PRINCIPAL DAN MARBURGER, WHO WAS SHOT AND THEN TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL IN DES MOINES. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST RUMORS THAT WE HEARD RIGHT WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. MANY PEOPLE EMAILING AND MESSAGING US IN THE NEWSROOM. BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD CONFIRM THAT INFORMATION BEFORE WE REPORTED IT HERE ON AIR. NOW, WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR IS THAT MARBURGER HAS BEEN AN EDUCATOR ACROSS THE STATE OF IOWA FOR A LONG TIME. THE HIGH SCHOOL HE GRADUATED FROM EAST CENTRAL, NOW EASTON VALLEY, SENT OUT A STATEMENT EARLIER TODAY SENDING THEIR HEARTFELT PRAYERS AND WELL WISHES TO THE MARBURGER FAMILY. WE SPOKEN TO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY TODAY, NOT ONLY PARENTS OF STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS, BUT STUDENTS THEMSELVES, WHO TOLD ����vlog HOW MARBURGER WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP A STUDENT WHO NEEDED IT. OUR PRINCIPAL, DAN MARBURGER, HE WAS THE NICEST MAN I’VE EVER MET. HE WENT INTO THAT BUILDING EVERY DAY WITH A SMILE. HOW CAN I HELP YOU ATTITUDE. HE WANTED EVERY STUDENT IN THAT SCHOOL TO HAVE THE BEST DAY THAT THEY COULD. HEARTBREAKING. YEAH. YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR IT IN THEIR VOICE THERE. HOW MUCH LOVE THEY HAVE FOR DAN MARBURGER AND HIS FAMILY. CERTAINLY PULLING FOR A RECOVERY THERE. WE ALSO LEARNED FROM THE EASTON VALLEY STATEMENT THAT THEY PUT OUT EARLIER TODAY THAT MARBURGER HAS BEEN PRINCIPAL HERE AT, UH, PERRY FO