Iowa sheriff confirms ‘multiple gunshot victims’ in school shooting

Authorities outside Des Moines, Iowa are reporting “multiple gunshot victims” from an active shooter situation at a high school Thursday morning.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said during a media briefing late Thursday morning that law enforcement responded to the incident at Perry High School at about 7:37 local time.

Infante said the first officer arrived within seven minutes of the notification and located “multiple gunshot victims.” He said law enforcement officials were “still unclear exactly how many are injured” or the extent of the injuries.

He also said there was “no further danger” to the public, and the shooter had been identified. He noted that the shooting took place before classes started Thursday morning.

“We will not be releasing any more information in the meantime. So please be patient with us so that we can talk with these victims and their families and try and figure out what happened,” Infante said.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office website said “multiple law enforcement and medical staff” responded to the high school, adding the scene was “secured.”

Thursday was the first day the students were back in school from winter break at the high school, which is located about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register reported that streets near the school were barricaded and a medical helicopter was spotted landing near the school.

Police were told parents to pick up their children at an elementary school located about a mile from the high school, according to the newspaper, which reported parents started arriving at the school to find their kids at about 8:50 a.m. local time.

The Des Moines Area Community College also announced its campus in Perry was closed on Thursday, saying in an advisory that it was “aware of an active violence situation” at Perry High School.

The Hill has reached out to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Perry Police Department for additional information.

–Developing