Daughter of Iowa School Principal Reveals He Distracted Shooter So Students Could Escape — Before Being Shot Himself

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

A day after multiple people became victims of the latest school shooting in the country, the daughter of Iowa’s Perry High School principal Dan Marburger revealed that her father tried to distract the shooter in order to give students the chance to escape before he was shot.

Claire Marburger posted a lengthy note on her Facebook page apologizing for not responding to comments she and the family have received since the shooting. She provided an update about her father’s condition, saying that he “was in surgery all day, and is currently stable.” Then she revealed the heroic act her father performed after the shooting began before the school day started on Thursday, their first day back after winter break:

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. It is absolutely zero surprise to hear he tried to approach and talk [the shooter] down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria. That’s just Dad.

Claire added that knowing her father, he would be “devastated about what happened,” and continued:

[H]e would be devastated about [the shooting], devastated about the victims, devastated for the community as every single community member is a victim to this tragedy, [it’s] things like this that he takes personally… what more could he do, what did he not do that he could have… he’d be extremely saddened the trauma and negative memories that are associated with his building and school now for many.

Knowing Dad he would also say his ugly face is popping up too much online, as he is getting attention as he is a deserving hero, please reach out to the other victims families.

With that, she implored others to “show grace” to the family of the shooter: “[W]e are not our [kids’] mistakes and actions or our [parents’] mistakes and actions. Remember this is something [the shooter’s] family has to live with too, as well as losing their child.”

Claire Marburger ended on a lighthearted note:

Please, please let’s share the positive memories and things of our school and community. If you have a funny, uplifting story: or something dumb you did that got you in trouble with my Dad please share that. We need a smile and laugh.

Dan Marburger was one of five people injured during the shooting at Perry High School, which is connected to the middle school; a sixth-grade student was killed. The shooter, a 17-year-old student at the high school, killed himself, and his motive remains unknown.

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