Injured Perry school principal succumbs to injuries

Another victim of the Perry high school shooting — Principal Dan Marburger — succumbed to his injuries Sunday as he was trying to protect schoolchildren during the killing spree that claimed the life of an 11-year-old student, according to a local media report.

After the death of the school principal, the toll increased to two.

At least seven people were reported to be injured then during the Perry school shooting, according to the local authorities.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement Sunday: "Our entire state is devastated by the news of Dan Marburger's death."

"Dan courageously put himself in harm's way to protect his students and ultimately gave his own life to save them. He will forever be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions. May he rest in peace."

Governor Reynolds also ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff.

"Dan Marburger is more than the Perry High School Principal. Dan is a husband, a father, a grandpa, a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, and a friend who lives and breathes for his family," his family wrote on GoFundMe. 

"Being the principal at Perry High School since 1995, also means that Dan's family includes those who have ever walked the halls of Perry High School."

"Dan Marburger gave the ultimate sacrifice," his family said adding that "all of the Marburger family and the entire Perry Community will forever be touched by the selflessness of Mr. Marburger."

The Perry High School shooting raised concerns about gun violence which is a prevalent issue in the US. According to the data, firearms outnumber the population in the US, and attempts to address their spread face substantial political resistance.

The United States has already witnessed three mass shootings in the early days of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an NGO defining a mass shooting as an incident resulting in four or more people wounded or killed.

School shootings, in particular, serve as poignant reminders of the political deadlock surrounding gun control. In a tragic incident in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022, a man took the lives of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school.