Iowa Teen Posted a TikTok Before High School Shooting: Authorities

After a 17-year-old opened fire at an Iowa high school Thursday, killing one and injuring five others, police say that the gunman posted to TikTok shortly before the attack, the Associated Press reported.

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Dylan Butler, a student at Perry High School, is said to have posted a video on the platform with a selfie in one of the bathrooms inside Perry High School, with the caption, “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by German band KMFDM, the AP reported. The video has since been taken down.

Investigators also believe Butler had posted other images of himself with guns on social media in the past. Butler died from what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack, Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said at a press conference on Thursday. 

Classmates of Butler also told the outlet that Butler was heavily bullied throughout his time at school but was mostly kind to others over the years. “He was there for us when we needed him and we tried to be there when he needed us but clearly we weren’t there for him enough,” Hall said. 

On Thursday night, Hundreds in the Perry community came together at a candlelight prayer vigil to comfort those who had been impacted by the shooting. 

The state of Iowa requires citizens to be at least 21-years-old before purchasing a firearm, raising questions as to how 17-year-old Butler got a hold of his gun. The state conducts background checks on purchases, but does not require firearm holders to have a permit. 

Gun violence in the U.S. has become more common in recent years, and prompted a national debate regarding gun legislation. In 2023 there were 656 mass shootings, more than double what the number was nine years ago, according to the Gun Violence Archive.