PERRY, Iowa — On Thursday evening, a small town gathered to grieve a large loss.
Hundreds side by side, mourning the shooting that killed one student and injured 5 others. Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and four other students are recovering at area hospitals.
“I was just at school being fine a minute ago and everything turned into chaos so quickly,” said Angie Orellana, a freshman at Perry High School.
Police say a 17-year-old student entered the high school at 7:37 a.m. and began shooting in the cafeteria during a breakfast program.
“At first, the whole cafeteria went silent,” Orellana said. “Then, like more shots continue, and everything went into chaos.”
Orellana says students were running and hiding.
The gunman shot six people before turning the gun on himself. Police say one of the victims, a sixth-grader, has died.
“In a situation like this, every minute counts,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
Police say the first officer responded within seven minutes and 150 officers from across the state were there within an hour.
Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that the shooter had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. He added that they also found a “pretty rudimentary” explosive device and removed it safely.
Authorities say the suspect's motive is being investigated and authorities are looking into “a number of social media posts” he made around the time of the shooting.
The school will remain closed on Friday as investigators continue their work. The governor has ordered flags be flown at half-staff for the victims.
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