MAQUOKETA, Iowa – Three family members were found shot dead Friday morning at a campground in Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa and the suspect in the murder, a 23-year-old man, was found. was found about a mile away along with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the man as Anthony Orlando Sherwin and said it believed he was from Nebraska. The department said there is no further threat to the public and the park will be closed until further notice.
Mike Krapfl, a special agent in the Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, said that Sherwin was not with the victims. Mitch Mortvedt, the division’s assistant director, said investigators did not believe there was a relationship between the victims and Mr. Sherwin.
Mr Mortvedt said authorities would not release the exact relationships between the victims or any other information about them until family members were informed. The motive for the murder is unclear.
Friday’s killings are the latest in a string of high-profile mass shootings across the United States, including one in May at a Supermarket in Buffalo caused 10 deaths, another in May at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texaskilled 19 children and two teachers and another shooting this month at a Fourth of July celebration in Highland Park, Ill., resulting in seven deaths.
On Friday, authorities received a call about a shooting just before 6:30 a.m. and found three people dead from gunshots, Mr. Krapfl said. They were able to explain to everyone at the campground, except for Mr. Sherwin, who was found west of the park around 11:30 a.m., authorities said.
Authorities said the campsite was evacuated along with a nearby children’s camp, Camp Shalom. According to a Facebook post, all campers and staff are protected and safe.
The camp hosts a number of summer programs for people with disabilities, including children, families and adults, from “various types of denominations” of Christianity, according to its website.
Beth Sallak, an executive assistant at Camp Shalom, said the program director was notified at 9:13 a.m. of an active shooting situation at Maquoketa Caves, located a mile and a half from the camp. Staff initially prepared to inspect the camp but “shifted the wheel” and loaded the campers onto two buses to evacuate them to a nearby playground.
“This is the world we live in,” Ms. Sallak said. “So we had to train for things like this, and they handled things incredibly well.”
Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement Friday that she was “appalled by the shooting” and “devastated by the loss of three innocent lives.”
Maquoketa Caves State Park is located on 370 acres, about 60 miles east of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The state’s Department of Natural Resources describes the park on website is “a popular destination for picnickers and hikers.” According to the website, a six-mile hiking trail connects the park’s 13 caves, including Dancehall Cave, which is 1,100 feet long.
“It’s a great place to visit,” Ms. Sallak said. “Until today.”
John Peragine reported from Maquoketa, Iowa, and Jesus Jiménez, Claire Fahy and Vimal Patel from New York.
