Cedar Falls mayor: Boy survives attack on family at Maquoketa Caves State Park

MAQUOKETA — A 9-year-old Cedar Falls boy was spared in an attack that killed his parents and younger sister early Friday as they camped at the Maquoketa Caves State Park in Eastern Iowa, according to the mayor of Cedar Falls.

Mayor Rob Green issued a statement on Facebook saying that the family’s son, Arlo, "survived the attack, and is safe."

The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the victims as Tyler Schmidt, 42; his 42-year-old wife, Sarah Schmidt; and their 6-year-old daughter, Lula Schmidt. Their bodies were found in their tent early Friday, and investigators said they had been shot.

Authorities said the suspected gunman, 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin of Nebraska, 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.

"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 he is a neighbor of the Schmidts in Cedar Falls. His Facebook post did not say whether Arlo was in the tent when the shootings happened, and Green told the AP he did not have those details. Authorities would not immediately confirm the information in the mayor's post or make any comment about the boy.

Sarah Schmidt worked at the Cedar Falls Public Library, which was closed Saturday after news of her death.

"Like many of you just hearing the news, I'm devastated," Green wrote on Facebook. "I knew Sarah well, and she & her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood. I was working with her this week on a public library tech presentation for 7/26.

"Their 9-year-old son Arlo survived the attack, and is safe," Green wrote. "I've notified neighbors, and for those of you just learning about this through this post, I am so sorry." He said he would share upcoming details about services and memorials.

By late Saturday, nearly $71,000 had flowed into a GoFundMe page created for Arlo. The page, which says it was organized by a cousin, Beth Shapiro, said: "Arlo is a strong boy, surrounded by family and friends who are supporting him as best we can." The page says the fund will help Arlo now, and help fund his future education.

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 weapon that was used to kill the Schmidts.

The Des Moines Register reported that Sherwin came from La Vista, Neb. 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.

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.

The state park and campground were closed until further notice. The Department of Natural Resources said in an email to the AP that campers with reservations through Thursday were given refunds. All of the campers who were at the park but not associated with the shooting have been able to retrieve their belongings, the Iowa DNR said.