The principal of a school in central Iowa died of his injuries 10 days after a student shooting that killed another student and injured several people, his family said Sunday.
“Dan Marburger made the ultimate sacrifice,” the family wrote on the GoFundMe fundraising page. After ten days he lost his battle and this tragedy took his life.”
On January 4, a 17-year-old student opened fire at Perry High School, where Dan Marburger was the principal.
“Dan suffered serious injuries while taking risks to ensure that as many students as possible could safely exit the building,” his family said.
The shooter, identified as Dylan Butler, later took his own life.
On Sunday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds praised the “heroics” of Dan Marburger.
“Dan Marburger courageously put himself in danger to protect his students and ultimately gave his own life to save them. He will forever be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions. Today we lower the flags in his honor,” she wrote on X.
The state of Iowa is preparing to open the Republican Party's primary season on Monday when its voters vote in small neighborhood gatherings called caucuses.
However, the issue of weapons did not play a major role in the election campaign.
At a rally in Iowa City after the tragedy at Perry High School, poll favorite Donald Trump declared, “It's just terrible,” before quickly adding, “We have to move on.”
With more guns than people, the United States has the highest firearm death rate of any developed country.
Shootings are a recurring scourge that successive governments have failed to address as many Americans remain attached to their guns.