[114] Perry High School, Perry, Iowa

if ever, associated with endings. Yet for the students and faculty at Perry High School, their first day back to school of the brand new year, January fourth, twenty four, marked the ending for some. Furthermore, that day was noted as the first school shooting of twenty twenty four, a distinction that no day wants and no one wants to give.

Most students had just spent the previous two weeks at home with their families, celebrating the holidays and New Years, and looking forward to the promise of the new year. Many were eager to return to school, while others not so much. Still, there was a sense of excitement after returning from such a long hiatus, and students were busy catching up with friends about everything they did while on their break. They weren't prepared for the horrific violence that

interrupted their morning and shattered their worlds. Today's case is dedicated to the lives and memories of the six injured survivors and the two deceased victims, Dan Marberger and Amir Joliffe. Active Shooter the podcast is a High five Holly production, and I'm your host JT. If you've listened to our prior episodes, you know that the Active Shooter podcast team has taken the no notoriety pledge and we will not be sharing the real name of the shooters that we cover.

A student and faculty member were killed in each shooting. The shooter was killed in each case, and in both cases, the shooter exhibited many red flags, either with their struggle with mental health issues, the are alarming social media content, or both. Both may have been prevented. Perry High School, a part of the Perry Community School District, is located at twelve hundred eighteenth Street in Perry, Iowa, which is

approximately thirty miles from Des Moines. Perry is a small, young community of about eight thousand residents, nearly eighteen hundred residents or students attending K through twelve, and one of the Perry Community schools. The middle school and high school share one building and are connected by a hallway that is situated right next to the cafeteria, which is where you'll find the largest number of students gathered at one time.

It's also where the shooting occurred that changed the live of so many young people, people who may have been still holding onto the innocence of youth. Outside, the weather was cold at thirty degrees fahrenheit, and it was overcast. Inside the school, it was bright and warm, as the school cafeteria hosted a morning breakfast program for all middle

and high school students that morning. It was particularly busy as students were returning from the long holiday break and beginning the start of the second semester at school, which means starting new classes. The jazz band also practices in the cafeteria, and they were wrapping up practice and hustling out of the massive room off to put away their instruments and get on with their day. Elsewhere, seventeen year old Dean was busy recording TikTok videos, seemingly from a

bathroom within the high school. In the video, Dean can be seen facing directly into the camera in front of a blue Duffel bag, and he captioned.

bell rang. Dean entered the cafeteria at seven thirty seven am carrying a pump action shotgun and a handgun. Without hesitation, he opened fire. Nine one one was called within the very same minute as the first bullet was fired. Students initially thought the gunshots were balloons popping or a book bag dropping.

think about that stuff us. And that's when a bunch of clops started coming and we knew it was serious. And when we were trying to leave, one of our teachers started like screaming at us, and that's when we knew it was seriously. Were telling about to leave. Leave, leave, And that's when I got serious and like, I just heard a bunch of some of my friends I saw.

and started to run towards a nearby classroom. He was barely struck by the bullets that whizzed past, and he managed to make it into the classroom, where he texted his father that there was a school shooter. Upon clearing the school, Xander was rushed to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where he was treated for gunshot wounds. He was released the same day, physically intact, but emotionally he was a different person than the one who woke up that morning.

He was a child, no more. Several of the jazz band members were exiting the cafeteria when the gunfire started. Some ran outside to the football field and beyond. They ran until they couldn't run anymore, or until they felt far enough away from the danger inside the school. Back inside of the cafeteria, Principal Dan Marberger attempted to approach Dean. He sprittly tried to reason with the student to drop the weapon. This heroic maneuver allowed many students the chance

to escape physically unharmed. Principal Marburger wasn't as fortunate. Dean shot the principal several times. He too was rushed to the hospital, but he passed away ten days later, unable to overcome the extensive injuries he sustained. Fifty six year old Dan Marberger was born on June sixth, nineteen sixty seven, in Clinton, Iowa. Dan graduated from East Central Community High School in Miles, Iowa, before heading off to college. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Central College in

nineteen eighty nine. After college, Dan returned to East Central High School, where he taught computer skills and social studies, and he coached football, golf, and girls basketball. He even served as the athletic director for the school while.

Dan was proud to have implemented many academic programs into the schools program, and in two thousand seven, he earned the honor of being named Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Administrator of the Year. Dan was a passionate educator, but he equally loved traveling, especially with his family, who was his number one priority. He was known to enjoy an afternoon of reading or golfing, or watching sports and

grilling out with his family. The avid sports fan was a devoted Iowa Hawkeyes fan, but he also supported the Vikings and White Sox. Dan is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth, and their five children and four grandchildren. Moments after Dan was shot, Dean continued to fire into the cafeteria and adjacent hallway. Sixth grader Amir Joliffe was struck by one of the errant bullets. The eleven year old was pronounced dead at the scene, and his death has deeply impacted

the community. Born in twenty twelve in Chicago, Illinois, Amir was vivacious. He was a lively young boy who wore a constant smile, so much so his nickname was Smiley. He loved life and was the first to stick up for another child if they were being bullied. Amir wanted others to get along and he was happiest when on the move. His family says that Amir was never one to stand still and always sought adventure. The youngster had a lot of hobbies and interests, including band, choir, soccer,

and like most kids his age, playing video games. Amrr will be missed each and every day by his four siblings, parents, and so many others whom he touched. Police were on the scene by seven forty five am, but the school had already begun sheltering in place. When officers entered the school, they located Dean with a pump action shotgun and small caliber handgun. He was deceased, having died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. The school was searched and a homemade

bomb was found. It was described as rudimentary and was safely disarmed. The FBI and ATF also responded to the scene and assisted in the subsequent investigation. Students were rescued from inside of the school and rounded up from nearby neighborhoods where they ran and sought shelter in area homes. There were over one hundred and fifty officers on scene, and reunification centers were established at the Perry Lutheran Home, the McCreery Community Building, and the National Guard Armory.

After working as the public works director for the City of Perry, Dean's mother owned her own business, though the specific type of business is unknown. She also served on the city Development board, and overall their family was very involved with their community. Dean, a senior at Perry High School, was described as private and kept to himself. Some reports indicate that he was the target of bullying and had been for much of the time he was in school

in Iowa. Dean spent a substantial amount of time online, and he used his social media presence to discuss his obsession with different serial killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer. He posted photos of himself posing with firearms, and his entire social media presence was a depiction of a mass shooter in the making. Dean wasn't close with many people, but he did have two friends who both say he just became

tired of being bullied all the time. He hated going to school and being tormented, but he mostly just dealt with it. After he learned that his little sister was starting to get bullied too. Dean snapped, he was one thing, but he'd be damned if his sister was going to live with the same harassment he did. His friends say that Dean was actually the nicest kid and they really didn't understand why he was singled out so much. There was a number of concerning posts on Dean's social media,

specifically his TikTok. In one video, Dean was seen mimicking quote the Cook from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, while yet another clip showed Dean pointing a stick at a friend while pretending it was a gun. He referred to himself as a stoner in at least one video, and multiple photos showed Dean with various firearms. He had over two hundred and fifty followers on TikTok before it was

eventually taken down. Dean's most frequently used social media app, however, was called Discord, which is really more of a messaging platform. A number of the messages were recovered, and one such message indicated that he was at school.

are precisely the types of posts, groups, or content. These are precisely the types of posts, groups, or content that should be reported to authorities any time you see it. Perhaps if this tip was thoroughly acted upon immediately, we wouldn't be reporting on this case. For their part, Discord released a statement saying the following quote. Our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families, and the community in Perry,

Iowa following yesterday's horrific shooting. Discord has a zero tolerance policy against content that glorifies violence and violent extremism, which is reflected in our community guidelines. We took immediate action against the suspect and his content and are currently cooperading with law enforcement to assist them in their continuing investigation. The shooter's parents were horrified to learn that their son

was capable of committing such violence. They had no idea who was planning such a terrible attack, and in fact, they had been discussing future plans with him, never imagining he intended anything but a bright and productive future. A memorial was held at a local park on the same day as the shooting, and a number of GoFundMe accounts were established for the families of the deceased and injured. The governor ordered all flags to be lowered half staff.

We all have the unique ability to help prevent such a catastrophic event from happening if we keep our eyes and ears open and never hesitate to report when something or someone just doesn't seem right. With the delicate balance of mental health reform, education, active shooter training, and common sense gun laws, we may one day rea the dream, the dream that there will be no more active shootings. We pray that love will prevail over hate.

who composed some of the songs on our show. You can find him online at www dot Darrencurtis music dot com. Make sure to check us out on social media. You can find us on Facebook at Active Shooter the Podcast and on Twitter at podcast Active. Thank you and be safe.