A 9-year-old kid is the lone survivor of a triple homicide in which his parents and 6-year-old sister were fatally shot by a shooter who then killed himself.
Tyler and Sarah Schmidt, both 42, and 6-year-old Lula Schmidt, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa, were recognized by Iowa state police on Saturday.
Suspect in Killing Iowa Family Found Dead
The police did not specify how the youngster survived or if he was injured. Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, was identified as the shooter. He was subsequently discovered dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound elsewhere in the park.
The triple killing was discovered shortly before 6:30 am. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were summoned to a campsite in Maquoketa Caves State Park, roughly 180 miles east of Des Moines, on Friday. Authorities arrived to find "three deceased bodies," according to a statement from the state police.
After discovering that one camper was missing, the campground was evacuated and cops scoured the area. That's when they discovered Sherwin in the park's forested section. The entire park is now a crime scene and remains closed. Mitch Mortvedt, assistant head of the Department of Public Safety's section of criminal investigation, told the Associated Press on Saturday that police were still looking for a motive, New York Daily News reported.
According to Mike Krapfl, special agent in charge of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, responding officers discovered the family dead in their tent. Sarah Schmidt's brother, Adam Morehouse, claimed the family had no contact with Sherwin and believed it was a completely random crime.
Authorities investigated the campground after discovering a missing guy from another tent, according to Mortvedt, and finally uncovered the body of a Nebraska man who they suspect was the gunman. Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green, who claims to be the Schmidts' neighbor, wrote on Facebook on Friday that the couple's 9-year-old son, Arlo, survived the attack, and is safe. The post did not specify if Arlo was in the tent or even at the campsite when the gunshots occurred.
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Boy Survives Gunman's Attack
Morehouse acknowledged Arlo was with the family on their camping vacation, but he did not know where the youngster was at the time of the shooting. "He is with relatives and is OK, but I have not interacted with him," he explained. The murder forced the evacuation of the park and campground, as well as a children's summer camp. According to Mortvedt, Sherwin was the only individual who went missing following the evacuation, as per USA Today.
It's unknown if Arlo was in the same spot as his sister and dad when they were slain, and there's no word on how he was saved. Anthony Sherwin lived in a nice apartment with his parents and had no known criminal background, according to local police. Except for a black rectangle that he used as his profile image, his Facebook page is blank.
The victims' families have put up a GoFundMe campaign to aid Arlo and establish an education fund for his future. By Saturday afternoon, the Arlo GoFundMe had raised more than $66,000, and a Meal Train fundraising campaign had collected $850 for the nine-year-old's food budget.
Police did not clarify whether Sherwin had permission to carry a gun or reveal any information about the handgun used in the shootings. Autopsies on Sherwin and the other victims will be performed over the weekend, according to Daily Mail.
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