Maquoketa caves : Authorities said that a couple and their 6-year-old daughter were shot to death at Maquoketa caves state park campground. The suspect, a 23-year-old man, was later discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
MAQUOKETA (Iowa) — On Friday morning, a couple and their 6-year-old daughter were shot to death. Their 9-year-old boy survived. The suspect was found dead at Maquoketa Caves state park in Iowa with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Maquoketa caves state parkIowa: Department of Public Safety
- According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Anthony Orlando Sherwin (23), was identified as the suspect. They believe he is from Nebraska. According to the department, there is no threat to the public. The park will be closed until further notice.
- Mike Krapfl, a special agent in the department’s Division of Criminal Investigation said that Mr Sherwin wasn’t staying with the victims. Assistant director of the division Mitch Mortvedt said investigators didn’t believe there was a relationship between Mr Sherwin and the victims.
- Late Friday, the authorities identified the victims as Tyler Schmidt (42), Sarah Schmidt (42), and Lulu Schmidt (6), all from Cedar Falls, Iowa. According to Mayor Rob Green from Cedar Falls, Arlo Schmidt, the son of the couple, was not injured in the shooting. It was not clear what the motive for the murders was.
- Mayor Green stated that Ms Schmidt was employed at Cedar Falls Public Library and that they were collaborating on a presentation this week.
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On Facebook, the mayor posted that she was “devastated” like many others who are just hearing the news. “I knew Sarah well and she and her family were frequent walkers in the Sartori Park neighbourhood.
Friday’s shootings are the latest in a series of high-profile shootings in the United States. These include a May shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 people dead; another at Uvalde Elementary School in Texas that killed 19 children and 2 teachers; and another at a Fourth of July party in Highland Park, Ill. that left seven people dead.
At 6:30 a.m., Mr. Krapfl, the police were informed of a shooting.
According to Mr Krapfl, authorities received a report about a shooting at 6:30 a.m. on Friday and discovered three bodies from gunshots. The authorities stated that they were able to identify everyone in the campground except for Mr Sherwin, who was found west of it at 11:30 AM.
Authorities said that the campsite and Camp Shalom, a nearby children’s camp, were evacuated. The Christian camp posted on Facebook that all campers and staff were safe and accounted for.
According to the camp’s website, it offers a variety of summer programs for people with disabilities. These include children and families from different denominations of Christianity.
Maquoketa caves : Beth Sallak
- Beth Sallak is an executive assistant at Camp Shalom. She said that the program director was informed at 9:13 AM of an active shooter situation in Maquoketa Caves. This cave is located approximately a mile and a half from Camp Shalom. Staff had been working on camp checkout, but then “switched gears” to load campers onto buses and evacuate them to a nearby playground.
- “This is the world that we live in,” Ms Sallak stated. “So we must train for things such as this. They handled everything incredibly well.”
- Gov. Kim Reynolds stated in a Friday statement that she was “horrified” by the shooting and “devastated” by the loss of three innocent lives.
- Maquoketa Caves State Park covers 370 acres, approximately 60 miles east of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, the park is “a popular destination” for hikers and picnickers. A 6-mile trail links the park’s 13 caves including Dancehall Cave which measures 1,100 feet in length.
- Ms Sallak stated, “It’s an amazing place to visit.” “Until today.”
- John Peragine reported on Maquoketa in Iowa with Jesus Jimenez and Claire Fahy, as well as Vimal Patel and Vimal Patel.
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