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Iowa high school principal, hailed as hero for protecting students during school shooting, dies of injuries

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger died Sunday, 10 days after he put himself in harm's way to protect students during a school shooting in Iowa.

A high school principal in Iowa who was critically wounded in a school shooting while protecting students earlier this month has died, according to his family.

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger died Sunday, his family announced on a GoFundMe page. Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory confirmed the death to The Associated Press.

"Although the news has not fully set in yet, Dan Marburger gave the ultimate sacrifice," the GoFundMe page said. "After 10 days, he lost his battle and this tragedy took his life."

The shooting unfolded in the cafeteria at Perry High School just after 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, the first day students returned from winter break. 

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An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The shooter, identified as a 17-year-old student at the school, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

The day after the shooting, the state Department of Public Safety said Marburger "acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students."

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Marburger's wife Elizabeth posted to the family’s GoFundMe that her husband died around 8 a.m. Sunday.

"He fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever," she wrote.

Perry is a town of about 8,000 residents. The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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