PERRY, Iowa- In remembrance of the lives lost and those forever changed from the Perry High School shooting, services will be available to community members.

On January 4, 2024 a 17-year-old gunman opened fire inside Perry High School, shooting eight people before taking his own life. 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff was killed, and school principal, Dan Marburger, died of his injuries ten days later.

One year later, the community is coming together again.

Free counseling services are available for community members at the Perry Public Library. Counselors will be at the library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday for students to stop by. Parents may also speak with counselors at the library on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m..

“Growing up in Perry, it’s always been a very tight knit community. Everybody knows everybody. So, when something like this happens that we can all come together, it feels really good to help out a community that’s always helped me,” said Jessica Phillips, the patron services clerk at the Perry Public Library.

Also taking place on Saturday is a service for continued hope and healing. The service was organized by the Perry Ministerial Association and will begin at 1 p.m. at 1221 Second Street in Perry.

On a national level, people across the country are also remembering the tragedy. The One in Five Foundation is a nonprofit organization formed in response to the Uvalde School Shooting. The foundation held a vigil on Saturday by halting operations from 7:35 a.m. through 8:35 a.m., the time the tragedy struck Perry. They also illuminated their headquarters in Dallas, Texas with Perry school colors, blue and white.

The organization also created a scholarship in honor of Ahmir Jolliff. The Ahmir’s Hope Scholarship will be awarded to a Perry High School student this summer. The scholarship is now open for nominations which can be made until January 30th.

To contact the organization to nominate a Perry High School student, or donate to the scholarship, click here.