PERRY, Iowa — A shooting at Perry High School on Thursday morning has killed one and injured multiple others, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said. The shooter has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"There is no further danger to the public. The community is safe," Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said at a press conference Thursday, Jan. 4. "We're just now working backwards, trying to figure out everything that happened and make notifications."
Below is a list of resources for those impacted by the tragedy.
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Monetary donations
Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh said at a press conference Friday there has been a monetary fund set up at Racoon Valley Bank under "Perry schools".
If you are interested in making other types of donations, please email Joyce Scott at joyce.scott@g.perry.k12.ia.us.
Blood donations
LifeServe Blood Center is sending blood products to the area to treat victims.
"It's our job in these situations to help them make sure they have what they need. And if if the injuries that are coming into their facilities aren't once they can handle them, they'll obviously transport those patients into the Des Moines metro hospitals," Shay Willis, director of marketing and PR for LifeServe, told Local 5.
"And I think that people just need to be mindful that the need is always there. And in cases like this, we have to have blood on the shelf to to respond appropriately," Willis added.
Those interested in donating can schedule an appointment on the LifeServe website or call them at 800-287-4903.
Counseling and community vigil
Heart of Iowa Community Services is working to connect students in need of counseling with mental health support. If you need financial assistance or have insurance concerns, reach out to Brandon Tews at brandon.tews@dallascountyiowa.gov, or call (515) 993-1722.
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs team are also in town for the foreseeable future. The dogs and their handlers are specially trained to help support victims of tragedies like school shootings, and they'll be at the McCreary Community Building from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. daily. To reach out to the team for more information or to schedule a visit, email coordinator@k9comfort.org or call (847) 287-6612.
Following the shooting, Perry Public Library offered counseling from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for students on Jan. 4 and 5. The library is located at 1101 Willis Ave. Teachers, faculty and staff also received counseling earlier in the day. On Friday alone, counselors saw 213 students and 80 staff.
The counseling services will continue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6. Superintendent Clark Wicks said the district hopes to continue providing these services down the road, "not only tomorrow, but then next week and the week following."
"We realize that everybody handles a traumatic experience at different rates and [in] different ways," Wicks said. "So we want to be very cognizant of that. . . we're going to provide, again, anything we can do to help students transition into school for teaching and learning."
A vigil was held at Wiese Park (1800 Pattee St) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4.
Crossroads Church also hosted a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4. The church is located at 2810 1st Ave.
Food and childcare
With school closed throughout at least the week of Jan. 8, parents might need help feeding or watching children in the aftermath.
At the McCreary Community building, free child care is available for school-aged kids every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Child care includes snacks and meals, but there are also "grab & go" lunches available at the Perry Elementary School between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. every day.
Families with young children
It's hard for adults to cope with tragedies like school shootings, and bringing it up to children can be incredibly difficult.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network outlines common reactions kids can have, behavior-wise:
- Increase in activity level
- Decrease in concentration and attention
- Increase in irritability and anger
- Sadness, grief, and/or withdrawal
- Radical changes in attitudes and expectations for the future
- Increases or decreases in sleep and appetite
- Engaging in harmful habits like drinking, using drugs, or doing things that are harmful to self or others
- Lack of interest in usual activities, including how they spend time with friend
Other changes can be physical — like frequent headaches, stomachaches and more — or mental, like repeatedly staying focused on the shooting or strong reactions to anything that reminds them of the shooting.
There's also the Iowa Concern Hotline, which runs through the ISU Extension and Outreach, and is a toll-free place to call for counseling help.