Iowa gunman reportedly posted on Discord he was 'gearing up' before attack
The 17-year-old gunman who opened fire at an Iowa school on the first day back after winter break messaged online friends on social media just moments before his rampage began, telling them he was "f**king nervous" but "gearing up".
Dylan Butler opened fire inside Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, last Thursday morning before classes began, killing a sixth grader and wounding numerous others. Just moments before he began shooting inside the high school at around 7.30am, Butler was active on the internet chat platform Discord, according to NBC News.
It's believed the teenage gunman sent out a series of messages under the account name 'took2much' which was reportedly once part of a group chat dedicated to school shootings. His various social media accounts, including Discord and TikTok, are being analysed by authorities, according to a person close to the investigation.
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First responders were on the scene of the high school shooting less than 10 minutes after receiving the call (Getty Images)A spokesperson for Discord confirmed the company believes the 'took2much' account belonged to Butler. Screenshots seen by NBC News showed a series of messages from the account in question to a group of friends on Discord. They reportedly said the user was at the school and ready "for what's to come".
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Just 10 minutes later, they wrote: "I'm f**king nervous, I'm [in] the bathroom gearing up". Before another message two minutes later, which included a racial slur, which read: "There's a n**** in the bathroom, I need him to leave so I can assemble my guns."
When asked about those messages, the Discord spokesperson did not respond, but did say Discord had taken action against accounts and content believed to have belonged to the suspect. In a statement, they said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families, and the community in Perry, Iowa, following yesterday's horrific shooting.
Students were taken to reunification centres following the shooting (AFP via Getty Images)"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 cooperating with law enforcement to assist them in their continuing investigation."
The 'took2much' user was also reportedly part of a chatroom dedicated to the discussion of school shootings called 'School Massacres Discussion', according to one Discord user who saw 'took2much' in the chat. That user, who remains anonymous as they are a minor, said they did not know Butler personally.
The high school and middle school, that share a complex, were locked down (AFP via Getty Images)The Discord member said they flagged the chatroom to the FBI in November, with an FBI agent reaching out afterwards over email asking for more information. The user said they emailed the FBI agent with screenshots of the server but did not hear back. The user said their report to the FBI did not include mention of the 'took2much' user. The chatroom was closed before the Perry High School shooting.
The morning of the shooting, Butler posted a TikTok video under the account 'tooktoomuch' in what looked like a school bathroom with the chilling caption: "Now we wait". The video was posted with the song 'Stray Bullet' by KMFDM, the same song used on the website of one of the infamous Columbine High School massacre shooters.
Community members in Perry, Iowa, gathered in the freezing cold for a candlelit vigil (Getty Images)Butler, a Perry High School senior, arrived early on Thursday morning at his high school armed with a pump-action shotgun and a handgun. He also had a homemade explosive device, which was undetonated and later rendered safe by fire marshals.
11-year-old sixth grader Ahmir Jolliff was killed in the attack. Four students and three staff members, including principal Dan Marburger, were injured in the attack.
The teen was found after first responders arrived at the school at around 7.40am, just seven minutes after receiving the call for an active shooter situation. He had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Butler was described as a quiet teen, who had been bullied since elementary school. Authorities are still investigating and have yet to share a possible motive.
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