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3 shot dead at Iowa state park; suspect found dead

3 shot dead at Iowa state park; suspect found dead, Transatlantic Today

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Washington Insider Magazine) –  On Friday, 3 family members were fatally shot while camping in an Iowa state park; the alleged shooter later died from a self-inflicted bullet wound, according to authorities. 

Around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, authorities responded to reports of a gunshot at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, according to a statement from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. According to division assistant director Mitch Mortvedt, police discovered three victims of deadly shootings inside a tent at the campground. 

According to Mortvedt, the three fatalities were linked. They were identified as Sarah Schmidt, 42, Tyler Schmidt, 42, and Lulu Schmidt, 6, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa, later on Friday by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. 

Mortvedt lacked a reason for the deaths. 

Everyone was quickly removed from the grounds, the campground’s summer camp for kids, and the park by officials. Anthony Sherwin, age 23, was the only documented camper still missing when the evacuation was over, according to Mortvedt. 

“He was known to be armed. That of course heightened our awareness as well,” Mortvedt added. In almost every part of the state, Iowans with permits may carry weapons. Officials declined to comment on Sherwin’s permit status. 

Police subsequently discovered Sherwin dead from a self-inflicted bullet wound in a forested part of the park after using an aircraft to assist with the search, according to ABC NEWS. According to Mortvedt, Sherwin is from Nebraska, and the detectives don’t think he ever knew the victims. 

Mortvedt stated that he was unable to confirm Sherwin’s lack of a criminal history. In Iowa and Nebraska, a review of online court documents turned up no evidence of past criminal activity. 

Mortvedt stated that Sherwin and the victims’ autopsies will be carried out over the weekend, and based on the results, further information would probably be made public. 

The park is roughly 50 miles east of Cedar Rapids and was still closed on Friday.

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