The principal of an Iowa high school that became latest scene of a violent shooting in America on Thursday tried to “distract” the gunman by calming him down so others could escape, according to Iowa authorities and the man’s daughter.

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger suffered multiple gunshot wounds and remains in critical condition after senior Dylan Butler, 17, opened fire, Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said in a statement Friday.

Marburger’s daughter, Claire Marburger, said that when she heard a gunman had opened fire at the school, she had a feeling her father might have put himself in harm’s way to protect students and his staff.

“It is absolutely zero surprise to hear he tried to approach and talk Dylan down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria,” Claire wrote in a Facebook post after the incident. “That’s just Dad.”

Mortvedt confirmed Friday that the gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing one person and injuring seven others. The deceased was identified by Mortvedt as Perry Middle School student 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff.

“Three of the victims are school staff members and four are students,” Mortvedt said Friday. “The investigation thus far confirms Principal Marburger acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students. At this time, Principal Marburger and two students remain hospitalized. The remaining have been treated and released.”

Shortly after the shooting, students shared one of the gunman’s TikTok posts, where he’s pictured posing in front of a blue duffel bag with the caption: “Now we wait.” Authorities declined to comment on any specific social media post on Thursday, but several of Butler’s classmates confirmed to The Washington Post that he was the person in the video.

Mortvedt said Friday that the gunman made several social media posts around the time of the shooting incident.

“Investigators have seized large volumes of digital and social media evidence that will take time to review,” Mortvedt said. “Background investigations, as well as eyewitness accounts and victim interviews, are continuing.”

An investigation is underway, and once complete, the report will be turned over to the Dallas County Attorney’s Office “to determine what additional course of action, if any, should be undertaken,” Mortvedt added.

Police officers arrived to the scene “within minutes” of the shooting beginning, authorities said Thursday during a news conference. Butler opened fire around 7:37 a.m. Central time while the school’s breakfast program was going on, so there were younger students from nearby schools also on the high school’s campus. Officers arrived to find students and faculty fleeing the scene and taking shelter. They said the gunman used a shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. They also disposed of a makeshift bomb that Mortvedt described as “rudimentary.”

The Perry community rallied in the aftermath of the shooting Thursday, holding a vigil and calling for support to the injured. Linda Andorf, president of the local school board, called Principal Marburger “the biggest supporter of kids.”

In her Facebook post, Marburger’s daughter said her father is thankful for the community’s support, but asked for compassion toward the gunman’s family as well.

“Show grace to the Butler family, as we are not our kids mistakes and actions or our parents mistakes and actions,” she wrote. “Remember this is something Dylan’s family has to live with too, as well as losing their child.”