(NewsNation) — Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger’s daughter called him a hero and said he was shot trying to distract the gunman as she offered an update on her father’s condition following the Thursday shooting in Iowa.

Claire Marburger posted on Facebook thanking all the first responders who were at the school and noting her father was in surgery all day but is in stable condition.

“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harm’s way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” she wrote.

Dan Marburger has served as the school’s principal since 1995 and is one of five people injured in the early morning shooting. A 6th grade student from the attached middle school was killed and the suspected shooter, a student at the high school, died of what authorities believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Claire called her father a “gentle giant” and said that putting himself in harm’s way to protect others was just who he was.

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“It is absolutely zero surprise to hear he tried to approach and talk Dylan down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria,” Claire wrote.

School had not yet started during the shooting, but a breakfast program meant students from both the middle and high school were in the cafeteria.

When thanking the community for their sympathy, Claire also asked people to show grace to the family of suspected shooter Dylan Butler.

“Knowing Dad, Dad is devastated about what happened today, he would be devastated about Dylan, devastated about the victims, devastated for the community as every single community member is a victim to this tragedy, its things like this that he takes personally,” she said.