A 6-year-old girl was among three members of an Iowa family fatally shot while camping at a state park, apparently killed by a Nebraska man who later turned the gun on himself, police said.
The victims, from Cedar Falls, Iowa — identified by the Iowa Department of Public Safety as Tyler Schmidt, 42; Sarah Schmidt, 42; and Lulu Schmidt, 6 – were found in their tent early Friday at the Maquoketa Caves State Park campground, about 180 miles (290 kilometers) east of Des Moines.
Investigators have not released a motive for the attack.
The department’s assistant director, Mitch Mortved, said the victims are related, but did not elaborate.
The discovery of the bodies prompted the evacuation of the park and campground, including a children’s summer camp. The only person unaccounted for after the evacuation was 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, Mortvedt said.
“He was known to be armed. It certainly raised our awareness,” Mortvedt said. Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state. Authorities did not say whether Sherwin had a permit.
Sherwin’s body was later found in a wooded area of the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mortvedt said Sherwin had no previous relationship with the people killed, but he is believed to be the shooter.
The Des Moines Register reported that Sherwin hails from La Vista, Nebraska. La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten told the newspaper that Sherwin lived in an apartment complex with his parents and that he had no history of criminal behavior.
Autopsies on Sherwin and the victims were to be performed over the weekend, Mortvedt said, and more information will likely be released based on those findings.
The state park was closed Friday.
“Our long-standing tradition of enjoying Iowa’s natural wonders was shaken today, but the legacy for the millions of families who vacation in Iowa’s state parks will live on,” said Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon.
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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska.
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