A high school principal sacrificed himself Thursday to protect his students from the suspect in the Iowa school shooting, according to a Facebook post by his daughter.

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger said on Facebook that the alleged gunman, Dylan Butler, was shot and killed “in an attempt to distract him” and underwent surgery, his daughter said on Facebook.

“When I heard about the shooter, I immediately felt like my father was going to be the victim, putting himself in danger for the sake of the children and the staff,” said Claire Marburger, the principal's daughter. I have written On facebook. “I'm not at all surprised to hear that he approached Dylan and tried to reason with him and distract Dylan until some students came out of the cafeteria. That's just Dad.”

Butler allegedly opened fire on the first day of school after winter break, killing a sixth-grader at a connected middle school and wounding five others, including Marburger, the Associated Press reported. report. Investigators have determined that the 17-year-old school shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Associated Press. (Related: Nashville shooter's manifesto remains locked after 5 months as lawmakers consider new gun regulations)

“To those of you who contacted me about your dad, I'm sorry I wasn't able to respond. It's just another day for us, for him, and for the community, so please don't take it personally. ” wrote Marburger's daughter. “My father was in surgery all day, but is now stable.”

The principal's daughter wrote that her father was a “gentle giant” and “an amazing father” who would drive hours to attend college games. According to the school district, Marburger worked at Perry High School for nearly 25 years. Website.

“He's devastated for Dylan, he's devastated for the victims, he's devastated for the community because all the members of the community are victims of this tragedy. He takes things like this personally. ” she wrote.