A high school principal sacrificed himself Thursday to protect students from an alleged Iowa school shooter Thursday, according to a Facebook post from his daughter.
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger underwent surgery after he was shot by alleged gunman Dylan Butler while attempting to “distract him,” his daughter said on Facebook.
“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” Claire Marburger, the principal’s daughter, wrote on Facebook. “It is absolutely zero surprise to hear he tried to approach and talk Dylan down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria. That’s just Dad.”
Butler allegedly killed a sixth-grade student from the connected middle school and wounded five others, including Marburger, when he allegedly opened fire on the first day of school after winter break, The Associate Press (AP) reported. The 17-year-old alleged school shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, investigators determined, according to The AP. (RELATED: Nashville Shooter’s Manifesto Remains Under Lock Five Months Later As Lawmakers Consider New Gun Restrictions)
“For those of you who have reached out regarding Dad, I am sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. Please don’t take it personally it has just been a day for us, for Dad, and for the community,” Marburger’s daughter wrote. “Dad was in surgery all day, and is currently stable.”
The principal’s daughter wrote her father was a “gentle giant” and an “amazing Dad,” saying he would drive for hours to attend her college games. Marburger worked at Perry High School for nearly 25 years, according to the district’s website.
“He would be devastated about Dylan, devastated about the victims, devastated for the community as every single community member is a victim to this tragedy, its things like this that he takes personally,” she wrote.