In a statement released on Monday, the parents of the 17-year-old perpetrator involved in the shooting at a small-town Iowa high school expressed the remorse over the incident. Dylan Butler‘s parents emphasized that they had no prior knowledge of their son’s intentions to commit such violent acts.
The statement from Jack and Erin Butler read, “We had no inkling he intended the horrible violence he was about to inflict. As the minutes and hours have passed since the horrors our son Dylan inflicted on the victims, the Perry School and the community, we have been trying to make sense out of the senseless.”
“We are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable,” they added. “Perry is our home and beloved community. We would never wish the harm and pain that Dylan’s actions caused on anyone and we could not have imagined that Dylan would carry out such a heinous act. Our family has to mourn and bury our son, and live with this terrible legacy. Through God’s grace we hope the answers can be found and that those answers will prevent other young people from harming others.”
The shooting occurred on the first day of classes after winter break, resulting in the death of one student, injuries to Perry High School’s principal, two staff members, and four other students, some of whom sustained significant injuries. The grieving family of 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff plans to hold his funeral on Thursday, one week after the shooting occurred.
While investigators, led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, continue to review extensive electronic and physical evidence and interview numerous witnesses, there were no updates released on Monday regarding the progress of the case. A motive remains a mystery.
News by Breaking911