The 11-year old boy, known as Smiley, was buried Thursday by hundreds of people. A week earlier he had been shot dead at his Iowa School after being killed by an older child who also injured seven other students and staff before committing suicide.
Residents from the small town of Perry filled a Catholic Church and spilled into a nearby church to watch the funeral of Ahmir Jolliff. The Rev. recalled that the boy had a spirit “bigger than his 11-year old body could contain.” Andrea Brownlee said it.
“He was a person with a vibrant spirit.” “His catching smile and endless energy is what most people shared with me in their memories of Ahmir,” Brownlee said, from First Christian Church. He was always moving. “He refused to remain in one place. He was always on the move, looking for adventure and excitement.”
‘Simply Devastated’: Parents of IOWA teen who killed 1 and wounded 7 in shooting RELEASE STATEMENT
Ahmir was killed by a 17-year old student who had a handgun and a shotgun, before the start of classes on Jan. 4, which was the first day after winter break. The principal of the high school, two staff members, and four students were injured. Dylan Butler died later from a gunshot wound that he inflicted on himself.
He was 11 years old. (Erica Jolliff via AP) He was 11 (Erica Jolliff, via AP).
Since the shooting, school in the city of 8,00 people north of Des Moines was canceled. Elementary students will be back next Thursday, and middle-school students next Friday. The district has said that the High School will not reopen until the repairs are complete. However, the shooting began in the cafeteria of the middle and high schools, which is shared by the middle school. Therefore, the repairs have to be completed there before the middle can reopen.
Brownlee, speaking in front of a coffin made from blonde wood and topped with flowers, described Ahmir as someone who held his family close. Brownlee described Ahmir as a sixth grader known to his family by the nickname Smiley. He was someone who stood for his friends, and would not back down when bullies were present, Brownlee explained.
Brownlee stated that “Ahmir wasn’t just a light of joy or a drink to cheer you up, he was also a steadfast defender of justice.” “He stood against bullies and supported those who needed to be heard. He ensured that kindness always won out.”
In an interview with his mother, Erica Jolliff described her son as a boy who was outgoing and seemed to know everyone around Perry.
Jolliff stated that “he was loved by everyone and so well-liked.”
Butler’s parents released a statement a few days after the shooting in which they said that they had no idea what “horrible violence ” their son planned to commit and that they were working with investigators on “this senseless act of crime”.
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Jack and Erin Butler stated in a statement that they were “devastated” and expressed their grief to the families of the dead, the injured and the families of the wounded.