Hundreds of individuals said goodbye Thursday to a vibrant 11-year-old boy generally known as “Smiley,” per week after he was shot to death at his Iowa school by an older student who also wounded seven other children and staff members before killing himself.
Residents of the small community of Perry packed a Catholic church and spilled over to a close-by church where the funeral for Ahmir Jolliff was televised. They recalled a boy with a “spirit greater than his 11-year-old body could contain,” because the Rev. Andrea Brownlee put it.
“He had a vibrant soul. His catching smile and his limitless energy are what most individuals have shared with me when sharing their thoughts about Ahmir,” said Brownlee, of First Christian Church. “He was at all times on the move. He refused to remain in a single place, in search of adventure and excitement in every aspect of his life.”
A 17-year-old student armed with a shotgun and handgun killed Ahmir before classes began Jan. 4, the primary day back from winter break. The highschool principal, two other staff members and 4 students were wounded and the shooter, Dylan Butler, later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
School in town of 8,000 people northwest of Des Moines has been canceled because the shooting, but elementary students will return to class next Thursday and middle school students will return next Friday. District officials have said the highschool won’t reopen until repairs are accomplished, however the shooting began within the cafeteria the center school shares with the highschool, so the repairs should be done there before the center school can reopen.
Speaking near a blonde wood coffin topped with a wreath of flowers, Brownlee described Ahmir as a one that hemmed his family together. Ahmir, a sixth-grader known by his family as Smiley, was someone who stood up for his friends and would not back down from bullies, Brownlee said.
“Ahmir was not only a vivid light or a drink of joy, he was a firm defender of justice,” Brownlee said. “He stood up against bullies, supporting those that needed a voice and ensuring that kindness at all times prevailed.”
In an earlier interview, his mother, Erica Jolliff, described her son as an outgoing boy who looked as if it would know everyone in Perry.
“He was so well-loved and he loved everyone,” Jolliff said.
In a press release several days after the shooting, Butler’s parents said they never had a touch beforehand concerning the “horrible violence” their son was planning and said they were cooperating with investigators to know “this senseless crime.”
“We are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable,” Jack and Erin Butler said within the statement.
