MAQUOKETA — A 9-year-old boy survived the attack that killed three members of his family Friday at Maquoketa Caves State Park.
Tyler and Sarah Schmidt, both 42, were found dead, along with 6-year-old Lula Schmidt. They were from Cedar Falls.
Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green issued a statement late Friday on Facebook saying the family was camping at the state park. The Schmidts' 9-year-old son, Arlo, was also there. He "survived the attack, and is safe," Green wrote.
Authorities said the suspected gunman, 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, was found dead in a wooded area of the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety’s division of criminal investigation, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the motive for the attack was still unknown.
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“We don’t know what led up to this, what precipitated it,” he said, adding that so far, “the investigation has not revealed any early interaction between the Schmidt family and him.”
Green said the family was his neighbors and said Sarah Schmidt was a Cedar Falls Public Library employee.
"Like many of you just hearing the news, I'm devastated," he wrote in the Facebook post. "I knew Sarah well, and she & her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood." He had spent some time working with her during the past week on a presentation.
Cedar Falls, which borders Waterloo in Black Hawk County, is just over two hours northwest of the Quad-Cities. Home to the University of Northern Iowa, the city has a population just over 40,000.
"Details will be forthcoming about services and other memorials, and I will ensure the community knows about this," Green wrote. "Please offer some extra grace to the Schmidts' many friends, neighbors, and coworkers as we try to process this horrible tragedy." The Cedar Falls Library was closed Saturday "for the sake of the staff who loved and worked with Sarah," he added. A Go Fund Me account has been set up for Arlo and had raised about $58,000 by mid-afternoon Saturday.
The Des Moines Register reported that Sherwin came from La Vista, Neb., a suburb of Omaha. La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten told the newspaper that Sherwin had lived in an apartment complex with his parents and that he had no history of criminal conduct.
Cecilia Sherwin, Anthony Sherwin's mother, told The Omaha World-Herald in an email Saturday that the family refuses "to believe the news."
She said they were camping at the park Friday morning when she heard yelling and two gunshots. A young boy ran up to the Sherwin's campsite yelling for help and told her that a man wearing black had shot his family, she said.
Cecilia Sherwin said her son was wearing green, not black, and no black clothing was found in the area. She also said that they were legally traveling with a gun, which was located in a secure container.
“We think (Anthony) might have sensed trouble and grabbed the gun for safety,” Cecilia Sherwin said. “We refuse to believe the news. We are deeply saddened as he had so much to live for and gave us no indication that anything was wrong.”
A review of Nebraska criminal justice records found no signs that Sherwin had a criminal history. Cecilia Sherwin did not respond to an email seeking further comment.
Autopsies on Sherwin and the victims were scheduled to be performed over the weekend, Mortvedt said, and more information would likely be released based on those findings.
Found at campsite
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and DCI were called about 6:23 a.m. for a report of a shooting at the park campground, Mike Krapfl, a special agent in charge with DCI, said during a news conference late Friday morning.
"When officers arrived, they located three deceased bodies at a campsite," Krapfl said.
The killings prompted the evacuation of the park and campground, including a children's summer camp. After the evacuations, Sherwin was the only person unaccounted for, Mortvedt said.
He said that during the course of the investigation, authorities learned Sherwin was armed and “that of course heightened our awareness.” Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state. Officials did not say if Sherwin had a permit and provided no information about the firearm that was used to kill the Schmidts.
Sherwin
Investigators were still trying to figure out what relationship, if any, there was between the Schmidts and Sherwin, Krapfl said.
The park will be closed until further notice because of the investigation.
Crowded park
Other people were in the park at the time, and at least some of them were evacuated.
"The campground was relatively full," Krapfl said, though he did not have the exact number of people who were in the park when police arrived.
"Officers made contact with all the campers, tried to get as many out as they could," Krapfl said.
There was believed to be no further threat to the public.
One employee at Maquoketa Caves said that, at about 8 a.m., she was given the option to go home after police arrived and the park was locked down in response to the report of a shooting.
Parents with children attending the nearby Camp Shalom were notified Friday morning that it also was locked down.
"We were just notified that there is an active shooter at Maquoketa Caves," according to a Friday morning message to campers' parents. "Our top priority is camper safety, and we are following the protocols."
Fridays are usually pick-up days for campers at the Christian-focused camp. It is about a mile and a half away from the Maquoketa Caves, executive assistant Beth Sallak said.
But plans changed at 9:11 a.m., when local law enforcement sent a notification to the directors that there was an active shooter situation at the state park and told them to evacuate immediately.
So, Sallak said, staff shifted gears.
“We told the campers, ‘We’re going to do a surprise visit to Little Bear Park in Maquoketa.’ They all cheered, and we loaded everyone on the bus. They had no idea there was an active shooter a mile and a half down the road.”
She complimented the staff for staying calm and quickly changing plans, as they’ve trained to do in emergencies. Campers this week ranged in ages from second-graders to seniors in high school.
“Nobody expects for this to happen. The Maquoketa caves? Come on," Sallak said. "It’s one of the safest places you can be. I take my kids there, I hike there with my friends. That doesn’t mean you can’t in the back of your mind be prepared.”
Camp Shalom will continue to host campers until the end of the summer, which will be two more weeks.
“We’ll continue to keep campers safe, happy, and hydrated, slept and well-fed. We’re just going to move forward as we normally we do,” Sallak said.
Officials respond
State officials issued statements about Friday’s incident.
“I’m horrified by the shooting this morning at Maquoketa Caves State Park and devastated by the loss of three innocent lives,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said. “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. We ask Iowans to do the same.”
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said on Twitter he was "closely monitoring" the situation in Maquoketa Caves State Park.
"Praying for the lives lost & their loved ones Im grateful for Iowa law enforcement who responded +camp staff for ensuring safety of other campers Violence can’t be tolerated Killing innocent ppl is sickening," Grassley tweeted.
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, likewise, wrote on Twitter: "I am heartbroken to hear of the tragedy in Maquoketa Caves State Park and am praying for the victims and their families. My staff and I are following the situation. Thankful for all of the responding law enforcement."
Kayla Lyon, Iowa Department of Natural Resources director, said she and the DNR staff were also devastated by the incident.
“Our long-standing tradition of enjoying Iowa’s natural wonders was shaken today, but the legacy for the millions of families that recreate at Iowa state parks will continue,” Lyon said.
U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said in a statement: "This was a horrifying and senseless act of violence. As we wait to learn more, I join all Iowans in praying for those who lost their lives and our community. My team will continue to be in contact with local officials and I am grateful for our law enforcement officers who are working to keep us safe."
Associated Press, Des Moines Register and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier staff and Quad-City Times reporters Barb Ickes and Anthony Watt contributed to this report.
