6-Year-Old, Parents Killed At Iowa Park; Suspected Shooter Found Dead

Maquoketa, Iowa -- A 6-year-old girl and her parents were killed in a shooting at an Iowa state park Friday, while their 9-year-old son survived the attack, officials said.

The triple homicide occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. Friday at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground in Jackson County, Iowa, ABC News reported.

The suspect in the shooting was also found in the park dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Police identified the suspect as 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin.

The motive behind the shooting remains unknown, officials said. Investigators are working to determine the suspected gunman’s relationship with the victims.

The victims were Tyler Schmidt and Sarah Schmidt, both 42, and Lula Schmidt, 6, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The family was from Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Officers found the bodies of the three victims at their campsite Friday. While evacuating the area, police learned there was a camper registered at the park who was unaccounted for, according to authorities.

"They noted that there was one camper unaccounted for that they believed could have possibly been armed," Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mike Krapfl told WQAD. "They searched the area for that individual and then later on, about 11 a.m., we found a deceased individual inside the park."

There is believed to be no ongoing risk to the public. The Maquoketa Caves State Park is closed until further notice, authorities said.

Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green said he was "devastated" after learning about the news.

"I knew Sarah well, and she and her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood," the mayor said in a statement on Facebook.

The family's 9-year-old son, Arlo, survived the attack "and is safe," Green said. It was not immediately clear if the boy was with his family at the time of the attack. No further details were given.

Sarah Schmidt was an employee at the Cedar Falls Public Library, according to the mayor. The library temporarily closed on Saturday after her colleagues learned about her death.

"Please offer some extra grace to the Schmidts' many friends, neighbors, and coworkers as we try to process this horrible tragedy," Green said.

At the moment, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which maintains the state parks, is working closely with authorities on the investigation.