At least 2 Dead, 5 Injured in Iowa School Shooting
The Facts
A shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday morning has left at least two dead — a sixth-grader and the shooter — and at least five injured, according to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt. The suspect, identified as 17-year-old student Dylan Butler, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
The shooting — reported at 7:37 a.m. local time — happened on the school's first day back from winter break, before the school day was set to start. Many students were outside or in the hallways when the shooting occurred, which police believe may have reduced the number of victims.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
It's horrific that just four days into the new year, yet another American school has been exposed to the horrors of gun violence. Children should not have to fear for their safety when they go off to class each day. Authorities cannot continue the same cycle of offering “thoughts and prayers” while ignoring America’s gun problem. Comprehensive gun control legislation is desperately needed.
Republican narrative
America's mental health epidemic has reached a breaking point, yet opportunistic politicians and pundits are weaponizing this incident for political gain. Rather than using this tragedy as fodder to fuel the anti-Second Amendment agenda, it should be used to revitalize the effort to enact state-level measures to treat the root causes of these horrific incidents.
