Perry Strong

Floor Speech

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Mr. NUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, just 2 weeks after the horrific violence that ripped through the small town of Perry, Iowa.

On the morning of Thursday, January 4, students woke up and returned to school after their winter break. They did not know what that day would entail. Before school had started, some students arrived for a breakfast program just before 8:00 a.m., and reports of shots rang throughout the school. Law enforcement rushed to Perry High School.

The violence that day left four students wounded, the death of sixth grader Ahmir Jolliff, and now, most recently, the life of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger. The Butler family also lost their son that day.

Like many Iowans, when I first heard the news, I was angry. No parent, no child, no teacher should ever have to wonder if it is safe to be able to go to school. We have a duty, a sacred oath, to protect our children, our families, and our educators.

In addition, no family and no parent should ever have to feel the pain that Ahmir's mother, Erica, felt that day when she learned that her 11-year-old son, Mr. Smiley, had been shot and killed simply for going to school.

Ahmir was an incredible kid. His mother shares that he loved soccer, played the tuba, and sang in a choir. Most importantly, that day, he got up excited to go back to school because he wanted to see his friends and his teachers.

This past weekend, this horrible attack claimed another life, Principal Dan Marburger. The multiple injuries Dan sustained were a result of his truly heroic effort to save his students. Dan was a loving father, a grandfather, a husband, a son, and a great educator.

He worked in the Perry School District since 1995, but when Dan heard the danger happening in his school, when others fled, when he could have run to save his immediate staff, he swarmed toward the danger, and there is no doubt that his actions saved lives.

Perhaps no one could share the story of Principal Marburger better than his own daughter, Claire, who said: As many of you know, Dad is a gentle giant, an amazing dad, just an amazing person. When I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my dad would be a victim, as he would put himself in harm's way for the benefit of kids and his staff. It is absolutely zero surprise to hear that he tried to approach and talk Dylan down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria, because that is just Dad.

There is no doubt he saved many lives through his selfless action. His legacy will live on through many students that he both mentored and educated, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten--not in Iowa, not in America.

Today, while our hearts mourn over this tragedy, we will be there for our community.

In the evening and days that followed the violence, we heard of students who helped each other get to safety. We learned the story of a kind stranger who drove an injured student, fleeing from the school riddled with bullets, to a hospital to help get treatment.

Going forward, we learned of law enforcement who were able to be on the scene within minutes, helping to protect even more students and securing the school quickly. We learned of doctors, nurses, medical professionals, and an incredible Life Flight crew who landed on the Perry High School football field to shuttle those casualties and those wounded to trauma centers across the State from this rural community. We learned of all who worked tirelessly to help those who were injured. We also heard the stories of vigils and community gatherings in the days that followed the shooting.

As we continue to move forward, now is the time for healing, a time to ensure that our communities are safe, our kids feel confident to return to class, and that families and educators know that Iowa has their backs.

We all have a responsibility to ensure safety for our students, and that begins with mental health, preventing youth suicide, hardening our schools, and ensuring our law enforcement and our schools are prepared to respond when these violent acts occur. Together, we have led on this, but there is more work to be done.

From this tragedy, there are lessons learned. These lifesaving actions that took place at Perry High School must be shared across the country, and I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in learning from this horrible event so that we can save lives into the future.

Mr. Speaker, these are hard days ahead of us, and much work remains to be done, but we will get through this together, because, today, we are all Perry strong.

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