PERRY, Iowa — Just over two months ago, students and families in Perry, Iowa, were changed forever.
The Jan. 4 fatal shooting inside the school took the lives of 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff and longtime principal Dan Marburger, injuring six others, including 16-year-old Corey Hoffman.
And Hoffman told Local 5 he's on a long road to recovery after being shot nine times.
After multiple surgeries and countless physical therapy appointments, Hoffman said the physical pain isn't the only thing he's still grappling with.
"I will say it has been a struggle, you know, dealing with what happened and all that," he said. "But I have learned to accept it to, to a point where I can just go on with my day. I still have a lot of hate."
Hoffman doesn't remember the details of what took place on that tragic day. Though, others who were in the high school building have shared stories of his bravery in those moments with his mother, Bobbi Bushbaum.
"I kept getting messages and comments on my Facebook, from other mothers who had gotten a hold of me saying, 'My children, they recognized your son, they described what he was wearing and everything and, and if it wasn't for him, they would have gotten shot too'," she said.
Hoffman told Local 5 being called a hero is a concept he can't reason with.
"Once I did find out, I kept thinking 'I can't live up to this anymore. I don't deserve the title,'" Hoffman said.
Hearing her son used his body to shield other students from being targets and helped others exit the building after he was shot multiple times, Bushbaum said it didn't surprise her — but it did make her proud.
"That's my son. I mean, he's he's got a huge heart," she said. "And, you know, he's always been there for other people."
Though Hoffman is now on a more stable path with his physical health, there is still a list of barriers he hopes to overcome: "Walking normally, running, being able to lift weights, writing and just spending time with my family like normal."
Bushbaum noted the recovery won't stop when the physical wounds heal.
"I mean, this is something that's going to live with my children for the rest of their lives," Bushbaum told Local 5. "For the children that were there, it's going to be an impact that they have to deal with for the rest of their lives."
Since the shooting, Hoffman's mother has been unable to work. The family is holding a fundraiser at Big Dog Billiards to help meet the community's needs for medical and daily life expenses.