An armed attacker opened fire inside a rural Iowa high school on the first day back from winter break, shooting multiple people before turning the gun on himself. The New York Post reported Thursday the principal at Perry High School was among what police said were multiple gunshot victims as the mass shooting unfolded at 7:47 a.m. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said at a press conference the rampage came before the opening bell and was when few faculty and students were in the building, “which contributed to a good outcome in that sense.”Perry High School senior Rachael Kares said she was practicing with the jazz band when she head four gunshots spaced apart. “We all just jumped,” said Kares. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled ‘Run!’”Infante said the shooter has been identified and is dead. Initial reports said first responders indicated on police radio he appeared to have killed himself. With this situation, he declined to say how many people were shot, if there were any fatalities, or give details on the shooter. “There are a bunch of speculative numbers floating around,” said Perry, IA, Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh. “We have no confirmed numbers of who was involved yet.”While officials tried to conceal details, a UnityPoint Health spokesperson confirmed two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Centre in Des Moines. “There is no further danger to the public [and] the community is safe,” said Infante. The shooting happened on a campus shared by the middle and high school. A first responder said there was a male down the hallway who appeared to have a self-inflicted wound and that he was shooting other victims. He acknowledged the suspect had died soon after. Perry High School parent Kevin Shelley said his son Zander, 15, was in a school hallway when he was grazed by a bullet in the back and arm before taking shelter in a classroom. After the shooting, two teachers said Perry High School principal Dan Marburger was shot, which Kevin confirmed Zander saw. “My son was inside, said he heard gunshots and immediately started running,” said Kevin. “They got into a classroom with a teacher that kept them hidden and safe.”When Zander exited the school, he was reunited with Kevin and went home to recover. Throngs of parents met outside the school for tearful reunions after the campus was cleared and evacuated. Once he learned about the shooting, he told his boss he had to run to the school as soon as possible. He said he “was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life.”Some high school students admitted they thought the rampage was a prank. Perry High School student Carlos said he heard a few bangs, and they were not loud. “We thought it was a prank or something,” said Carlos. “We didn’t think it was real at first.”When a bunch of police officers started coming, Carlos said he knew it was serious and was told to leave. One of the teachers started screaming at the students and told them to leave. As Kares and her fellow students ran past the football field, she said heard additional shots and people yelling “Get out!” “At that moment, I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son,” she said. The school district cancelled classes for the remainder of the day and Friday amid the ongoing investigation. This ordeal came as presidential candidates and national media descended on Iowa ahead of its caucuses in 11 days. Officials said the White House had been informed of the shooting and was monitoring the situation. Another school shooting had been reported at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on December 6. READ MORE: UPDATED: Three victims in Las Vegas university shootingInitial police reports said there were multiple victims and the shooter was contained after the shooting. Police confirmed the suspect was dead, but it is unclear whether or not he was killed by responding offers or took his own life.
