The report said the Iowa school shooting was “the result of extensive preparation” by a lone shooter

CNN
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A January school shooting at Perry High School near Des Moines, Iowa, that left two people dead and six injured was “the result of extensive preparation and planning” by a lone gunman, according to a new report from the Dallas District Attorney's Office County revealed.

The report, which outlined the timeline of events, also noted that the shooting victims appeared to have been selected “based on their immediate availability” rather than being targeted, and that 17-year-old shooter Dylan Butler was probably chosen “due to immediate availability”. “Warning signs” that went unrecognized or unreported.

“The evidence suggests that his actions that morning were indiscriminate and driven by a desire to commit suicide with the hostile intent of taking others with him,” the report said.

Butler entered the school through the main entrance, hid the weapons he was carrying, and hid in a student bathroom for about 20 minutes until the school began to fill with students and staff. That's when he emerged and began shooting, the report said.

The investigation found that the shotgun used by Butler “likely came from a large extended family gun collection” and was taken without the owner's knowledge. A revolver found at Butler's home was legally purchased by his father in 2020 and left unsecured in the family home, according to Stephan Bayens, director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The report also details the heroic actions of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, who “without regard to his own injuries, called Butler by name and begged him to stop shooting.”

“I can tell you he saved lives that day,” Bayens said in a news conference Friday. “He repeatedly called the shooter by name. “Dylan, don’t do it! Dylan, stop it! Dylan, let's talk!' after being shot more than once. (…) Every time he called out that name, the shooter heard his name, he looked and turned toward the sound, and when he did, it took his attention away from the person he was about to shoot.”

Marburger died from his injuries 10 days after the shooting, CNN previously reported.

After officers responded to the shooting, they discovered the shooter had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said in January.

The Dallas County District Attorney's Office noted that the evidence in the case “does not support state-level charges against anyone.”

“While this decision marks the conclusion of the investigation, the impact of this tragedy on the victims, their families and the wider community remains profound. We continue to support those affected and will stand with them as the community heals from this devastating loss,” wrote District Attorney Jeannine Ritchie.

According to a CNN analysis, the shooting at Perry High School was the second US school shooting in 2024. As of September 19, there have been at least 50 school shootings in the United States so far this year, CNN said previously reported.