Hundreds of people said goodbye Thursday to a vibrant 11-year-old boy known as 鈥淪miley,鈥 a 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 nearby church where the funeral for Ahmir Jolliff was televised. They recalled a boy with a 鈥渟pirit bigger than his 11-year-old body could contain,鈥 as the Rev. Andrea Brownlee put it.
鈥淗e had a vibrant soul. His catching smile and his endless energy are what most people have shared with me when sharing their thoughts about Ahmir,鈥 said Brownlee, of First Christian Church. 鈥淗e was always on the move. He refused to stay in one place, seeking adventure and excitement in every aspect of his life.鈥
A 17-year-old student armed with a shotgun and handgun killed Ahmir before classes began Jan. 4, the first day back from winter break. The high school principal, two other staff members and four students were wounded and the shooter, Dylan Butler, later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
School in the city of 8,000 people northwest of Des Moines has been canceled since the shooting, but elementary students will go back to class next Thursday and middle school students will return next Friday. District officials have said the high school won鈥檛 reopen until repairs are completed, but the shooting started in the cafeteria the middle school shares with the high school, so the repairs must be done there before the middle school can reopen.
Speaking near a blonde wood coffin topped with a wreath of flowers, Brownlee described Ahmir as a person who hemmed his family together. Ahmir, a sixth-grader known by his family as Smiley, was someone who stood up for his friends and wouldn't back down from bullies, Brownlee said.
鈥淎hmir was not just a bright light or a drink of joy, he was a firm defender of justice," Brownlee said. "He stood up against bullies, supporting those who needed a voice and ensuring that kindness always prevailed.鈥
In an earlier interview, his mother, Erica Jolliff, described her son as an outgoing boy who seemed to know everyone in Perry.
鈥淗e was so well-loved and he loved everyone,鈥 Jolliff said.
In a statement several days after the shooting, said they never had a hint beforehand about the 鈥渉orrible violence鈥 their son was planning and said they were cooperating with investigators to understand 鈥渢his senseless crime.鈥
鈥淲e are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable,鈥 Jack and Erin Butler said in the statement.
