View source for Maquoketa Caves State Park murders

{{short description|Triple murder in Jackson County, Iowa}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title            = Maquoketa Caves State Park Murders
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| map              = {{infobox mapframe|coord={{Coord|42.119801512056|-90.77711678433714}}|length_mi=0.26}}
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| location         = [[Maquoketa Caves State Park]], [[Jackson County, Iowa|Jackson County]], [[Iowa]], U.S
| target           = Schmidt family
| coordinates      = {{Coord|42.119801512056|-90.77711678433714|display=title}}
| date             = {{start date|2022|07|22}}
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| timezone         = [[Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| type             = [[mass shootings in the United States|Mass shooting]], stabbing, strangulation
| fatalities       = 4 (including the perpetrator)
| injuries         =
| victims          =
| accused          =
| perpetrator      = Anthony Orlando Sherwin
| assailants       = <!-- or | assailant = -->
| weapon           = Homemade firearm and sharp object
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On July 22, 2022, three members of the Schmidt family were murdered in [[Maquoketa Caves State Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=4 dead, including gunman, after shooting at Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa, police say |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/22/maquoketa-caves-park-shooting-iowa/10129263002/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> The assailant, identified as 23-year-old Anthony Orlando Sherwin, later committed suicide by gunshot.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Live updates: 4 dead in 'horrifying and senseless' shooting at Iowa's Maquoketa Caves State Park, including alleged gunman |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2022/07/22/maquoketa-caves-state-park-shooting-closed-iowa-camp-shalom-jackson-county/10127217002/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Murders ==
Shortly before 6:23 a.m. on July 22, 2022, an assailant murdered three members of the Schmidt family. The father Tyler, 42, was shot multiple times and stabbed to death and the mother Sarah, 42, was stabbed multiple times until she died. The couple's daughter, six-year-old Lula, died from a gunshot wound and [[Strangling|strangulation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Autopsies reveal family members were stabbed, shot, strangled at Maquoketa Caves State Park |url=https://www.kcrg.com/2022/08/04/autopsies-reveal-family-members-were-stabbed-shot-strangled-maquoketa-caves-state-park/ |access-date=2022-08-06 |website=KCRG}}</ref> The couple's nine-year-old son Arlo was the sole survivor of the attack.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gariano |first=Francesca |date=July 23, 2022 |title=Boy, 9, 'survived' Iowa park shooting that killed parents and sister, officials say |url=https://www.today.com/news/news/9-year-old-survived-iowa-shooting-killed-parents-sister-rcna39698 |access-date=2022-07-23 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref>
Authorities received a phone call notifying them of the triple homicide at about 6:23 a.m.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Jiménez |first1=Jesus |last2=Fahy |first2=Claire |last3=Patel |first3=Vimal |last4=Peragine |first4=John |date=2022-07-22 |title=4 Dead After Iowa State Park Shooting, Authorities Say |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/22/us/iowa-shooting-maquoketa-caves-state-park.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=2022-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105012244/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/22/us/iowa-shooting-maquoketa-caves-state-park.html |archive-date=5 January 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After arriving at the scene and discovering the victims, they temporarily closed the park to investigate. After evacuating the campgrounds, police learned that the only registered camper that was unaccounted for was Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, a resident from [[La Vista, Nebraska]]. At the time, they did not know whether he was the perpetrator or another victim, but did know that he was armed.<ref name=":0" />
At 11:00 a.m., Sherwin's body was found by a plane used by law enforcement to search for him.<ref name=":0" /> Sherwin had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound west of the campground and was shortly identified by law enforcement as a suspect in the case.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Foley |first1=Ryan J. |last2=Beck |first2=Margery A. |date=2022-07-22 |title=Police: Gunman kills 3 at Iowa state park; shooter also dead |url=https://apnews.com/article/police-shootings-iowa-13ccc3d47f39642da299278c604fbd8c |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref>
== Investigation ==
The motive for the shooting is still unknown. There is no known connection between the Schmidt family and Sherwin, and authorities believe that the shooting was a random attack.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Susan |date=2022-07-24 |title='We don't know what led up to this': 9-year-old boy survives Iowa campground shooting that killed family |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/24/9-year-old-survives-iowa-campground-shooting/10138884002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220724191548/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/24/9-year-old-survives-iowa-campground-shooting/10138884002/ |archive-date=2022-07-24 |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=USA Today}}</ref>
On August 4, the Iowa Department of Public Safety released the autopsy reports. The causes of death include a combination of gunshot wounds, multiple sharp force injuries, and strangulation. The report concluded, "However, the known facts and circumstances, and all evidence collected to this point, substantiate Sherwin was the perpetrator of the homicides and acted alone."<ref>{{Cite web |title=UPDATE: Autopsies Completed In Maquoketa Caves State Park Triple Homicide {{!}} Iowa Department of Public Safety |url=https://dps.iowa.gov/update-autopsies-completed-maquoketa-caves-state-park-triple-homicide |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=dps.iowa.gov}}</ref>" The [[Quad-City Times]] and the [[The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus|Dispatch-Argus]] filed requests for numerous records related to the shooting under the [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]] and [[Freedom of information in the United States|Iowa's open records law]]. The request was denied by the [[Iowa Department of Public Safety]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=911 call reveals more details of Maquoketa Caves murders |url=https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/maquoketa-murders-911-call-reveals-new-information-about-morning-family-was-killed/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=www.thegazette.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Aftermath ==
Camp Shalom, a Christian summer camp about a mile and a half away from where the shooting took place, was safely evacuated at 9:15 a.m.<ref name=":0" />
== Reactions ==
Shortly after the incident, the surviving parents of the alleged shooter disputed the allegations against their son, who had no criminal record. “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 young boy ran up to the Sherwins’ 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ashford |first1=Molly |last2=Hoffman |first2=Ryan |date=July 23, 2022 |title=Mother of suspected gunman in Iowa state park shooting says family is 'deeply saddened' |url=https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/mother-of-suspected-gunman-in-iowa-state-park-shooting-says-family-is-deeply-saddened/article_2b9a82f9-1e6e-5f9b-b5e9-c83d36ba2f08.html |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=Omaha World-Herald |language=en}}</ref>
[[Kim Reynolds]], the governor of Iowa, made a statement about the shooting, saying “I’m horrified by the shooting this morning at Maquoketa Caves State Park and devastated by the loss of three innocent lives. 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.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-22 |title=Iowa DCI: 3 killed in shooting at Maquoketa Caves campground, gunman also dead |url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-dci-shooting-at-maquoketa-caves-state-park-campground/40690555 |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=KCCI |language=en}}</ref> Representatives [[Ashley Hinson]], [[Cheri Bustos]], and Senator [[Chuck Grassley]] made similar statements.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=UPDATE: 4 dead at Maquoketa Caves State Park; triple-homicide investigation underway |url=https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/breaking/article_e4d44b3c-920c-5c27-ba18-82c820dcef86.html |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Telegraph Herald |language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:2022 in Iowa]]
[[Category:2022 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Iowa]]
[[Category:Family murders]]
[[Category:July 2022 crimes in the United States]]
[[Category:Murder–suicides in Iowa]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Iowa]]