*Content Warning: This email discusses gun violence.*

John,

Tonight, my heart goes out to the students, teachers, administrators, and the Perry High School community.

The violence that took place at Perry High School today is everyone's worst nightmare and it is a tragedy for all Iowans. I hope we can all be a support to the Perry community in the wake of this violence.

We are four days into the new year and the Gun Violence Archive, an organization that reports national gun violence statistics, has already recorded four mass shooting events in 2024.

Shootings like this happen too often, and our kids are the ones paying the price with relentless shelter-in-place drills and the constant fear of "will this happen to me and my school?"

In the words of a student who was describing how she felt during the shooting at Perry High School today:

"I'm scared and I want to talk to my mom, but you can't."

Gun violence is an epidemic in the United States, and we all are afraid of days like today. But we can, and must, do more to prevent mass shootings just like the one that happened at Perry High School today.

Stand Tall for All,

J.D.