This story was last updated at 3:40 p.m. Central. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.
Police say three family members were shot to death while camping in a state park in eastern Iowa, and the suspected gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement that officers responded to reports of a shooting at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30 a.m. Friday.
Division assistant director Mitch Mortvedt says officers found three people shot dead in a tent.
Mortvedt says the three were related, but did not say how or give their names. Law enforcement later found 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, of Nebraska, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wooded area.
Mortvedt says investigators don't believe he had any prior relationship with the victims.
Reporting by the Associated Press
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Four people are dead including the alleged gunman after a shooting Friday morning at the Maquoketa Caves State Park campground, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
In a news release, DCI says the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a shooting early Friday.
When they arrived, officers found three dead and a camper unaccounted for.
A short distance away, they found 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Law enforcement says there is no danger to the public, but the park is considered an active crime scene and is closed until further notice.
U.S. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, whose district includes Maquoketa Caves State Park, called it a “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,” Hinson said in a statement.
In a statement Friday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she's grieving for the victims and their families.
“I’m horrified by the shooting this morning at Maquoketa Caves State Park and devastated by the loss of three innocent lives."
