2 dead, 5 injured in school shooting in U.S. state of Iowa

A shooting at a high school in Perry Town in U.S. state of Iowa on Thursday killed a 6th-grade student and injured five others, while the shooter, a 17-year-old student, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement officials.

The five injured, including four students and an administrator, are in Des Moines hospitals for treatment, local media reported.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said at a news conference that local authorities were called to Perry High School at 7:37 a.m. on Thursday on the report of shooting, and there was no further danger to the public.

Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler, 17, and provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years. 

Authorities said the shooter had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that authorities also found a "pretty rudimentary" improvised explosive device and rendered it safe, according to the report. 

In response to the shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called on Congress to pass legislation to combat gun violence.

The president is tracking the shooting, and senior White House staff have been in touch with the Iowa governor's office, she added.

Thursday was the first day back to school for Perry students after the winter break, and the shooting happened before the school day began, local media reported. Several nearby school districts have taken security precautions after the shooting.

Perry is a town with a population of about 8,000 in Dallas County, located nearly 65 kilometers northwest of Des Moines, the capital city of Iowa.

(With input from agencies)