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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 5 January 2024

Police say multiple people have been shot at a high school in

Perry, Iowa; suspect is dead

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI gun safety advocates, and
and HANNAH FINGERHUT Thursday's did within hours.
Associated Press But that idea has been a
PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Mul- non-starter for many Re-
tiple people were shot publicans, particularly in ru-
inside a small-town Iowa ral, GOP-leaning states like
high school early Thursday, Iowa.
as students preparing for As of July 2021, Iowa does
their first classes after winter not require a permit to pur-
break were forced to duck chase a handgun or carry
into classrooms, barricade a firearm in public, though
themselves in offices or run it mandates a background
for an exit, before the sus- check for a person buying
pected shooter was found a handgun without a per-
dead. mit.
Authorities in Perry, Iowa, Ramaswamy said the
did not say how many shooting is a sign of a "psy-
people were injured in the chological sickness" in the
shooting, but hospitals con- country. In Des Moines,
firmed receiving at least GOP rival and Florida Gov.
three patients. Ron DeSantis said that gun
The suspect died of what in- violence "is more of a local
vestigators believe is a self- and state issue" in an inter-
inflicted gunshot wound, A man and children leave the McCreary Community Building after being reunited following a view with the Des Moines
and at least one of the shooting at Perry High School, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. Associated Press Register and NBC News.
victims is a school adminis- The high school in Perry is
trator, a law enforcement the east edge of town. in her leg." fice are assisting with the in- part of the 1,785-student
official told The Associated High school senior Ava Three gunshot victims were vestigation led by the Iowa Perry Community School
Press. The official was not Augustus said she was in taken by ambulance to Division of Criminal Investi- District. The town is more di-
authorized to publicly dis- a counselor's office, wait- Iowa Methodist Medical gation. verse than Iowa as a whole,
cuss details of the investi- ing for hers to arrive, when Center in Des Moines, a The shooting occurred in with census figures showing
gation and spoke to The AP she heard three shots. She spokesperson for its health the backdrop of Iowa's that 31% of the residents
on condition of anonymity. and other people barri- system said. Some other first-in-the-nation presiden- are Hispanic, compared to
Perry has about 8,000 resi- caded the door, preparing patients were transported tial caucuses. GOP candi- less than 7% for the state.
dents and is about 40 miles to throw things if necessary, to a second hospital in Des date Vivek Ramaswamy Those figures also show that
(64 kilometers) northwest of with a window being too Moines, a spokesperson had a campaign event nearly 19% of the town's
Des Moines, on the edge small for an escape. for MercyOne Des Moines scheduled in Perry at 9 residents were born outside
of the state capital's met- "And then we hear 'He's Medical Center confirmed, a.m. about 1 1/2 miles (2.4 the U.S.
ropolitan area. It is home down. You can go out,'" declining to comment on kilometers) from the high An active shooter was re-
to a large pork-processing Augustus said through the number of patients or school but canceled it to ported at 7:37 a.m. Thurs-
plant, and low-slung, single tears. "And I run and you their statuses. have a prayer and intimate day and officers arrived
story homes spread among can just see glass every- In Washington, U.S. Attor- discussion with area resi- seven minutes later, Dallas
trees now shorn of their where, blood on the floor. ney General Merrick Gar- dents. County Adam Infante said.
leaves by winter. The high I get to my car and they're land was briefed on the Mass shootings across the Emergency vehicles sur-
school and middle school taking a girl out of the audi- shooting. FBI agents from U.S. have long brought calls rounded the middle and
are connected, sitting on torium who had been shot the Omaha-Des Moines of- for stricter gun laws from high school.q

Voters file an objection to Trump’s name on the Illinois ballot

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A en an oath to defend the Colorado and Maine have
petition filed by five voters Constitution and then later already banned Trump's
on Thursday seeks to bar "engaged in insurrection or name from primary elec-
former President Donald rebellion" against the coun- tion ballots. Trump asked
Trump from the Illinois Re- try or given "aid or comfort" the U.S. Supreme Court on
publican primary election to its enemies. Wednesday to overturn the
ballot in March, claiming The 87-page document, Colorado Supreme Court
he is ineligible to hold of- signed by five people from ruling from December that
fice because he encour- around the state, lays out stripped his name from the
aged and did little to stop a case that Trump, hav- state's ballot.
the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on ing lost the 2020 election The Illinois State Board of
the U.S. Capitol. to Democrat Joe Biden, Elections had yet to set the
The petition, similar to those fanned the flames of hard- petition for hearing Thurs-
filed in more than a dozen core supporters who at- day afternoon, spokes-
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump other states, relies on the tacked the Capitol on the person Matt Dietrich said.
submit nomination papers with state election authorities, 14th Amendment to the day Congress certified the The board is set to hear 32
Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, at the State Board of Elections in Constitution, which prohib- election results. The riot other objections to the pro-
Springfield, Ill. its anyone from holding of- left five dead and more posed ballot at its Jan. 11
Associated Press
fice who previously has tak- than 100 injured. Officials in meeting.q