US: Three of a Family, Including 6-Year-Old, Killed in Shooting at Iowa Campsite

The man suspected of killing them was found dead nearby from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Three members of a family, including a 6-year-old, were killed on Friday, 22 July, in a shooting in the United States. They had been camping at a state park in eastern Iowa.

(Photo: IANS)

Three members of a family, including a 6-year-old, were killed on Friday, 22 July, in a shooting in the United States. They had been camping at a state park in eastern Iowa.

The three victims of the triple-homicide at Maquoketa Caves State Park have been identified as Tyler Schmidt (42), Sarah Schmidt (42), and Lulu Schmidt (6). They were found dead inside a tent at the camping ground.

The man suspected of killing them – 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin – was found dead nearby from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

"At about 6:23 am this morning, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and DCI were notified of a triple homicide at the Maquoketa Caves State Park campground. Officers located three deceased bodies. Officers later found that a camper was unaccounted for," Iowa's Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement.

"Following a search of the area, officers found the deceased body of Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, west of the park. Sherwin appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and there is no danger to the public," as per the statement.

Iowa Department of Public Safety has also released a picture of the suspect.

Anthony Orlando Sherwin.

It wasn't immediately clear if Sherwin, a Nebraska resident, knew the victims or was related to them, special agent in charge of the Iowa DCI Mike Krapfl was quoted as saying by NBC.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed her condolences for the deceased in the shooting.

"I’m horrified by the shooting this morning at Maquoketa Caves State Park and devastated by the loss of three innocent lives. As we grieve this unimaginable tragedy, Kevin and I pray for the victims’ family members and the law enforcement officers who responded to the scene," she wrote in a tweet.