A man shot and killed two people in an Iowa church parking lot before turning the pistol on himself.
Members of the Cornerstone Church of Armes, near Des Moines, gathered in the parking lot to console one another after an unidentified shooter killed two female members on Thursday at 7 p.m.
According to police, the shooter committed suicide after the shooting.
It’s unclear whether the three knew each other or what their motivation was at the time. After a church service, police will address the public at approximately 11.30 a.m. EST.
According to Nicholas Lennie, chief deputy of the Story County Sheriff’s Office, the violent incident occurred inside while Summer Salt, a program for college-aged members, was taking place. It is estimated that approximately 1,300 students attend the program on a weekly basis. The first meeting of the summer was held yesterday.
When deputies arrived on the scene, all three were dead, Lennie said, adding that he couldn’t reveal their identities or the nature of their relationship.
‘This appears to be an isolated, single-shooter incident,’ Lennie said.
Lennie told the Des Moines Register that the shooting of a member of ‘legal enforcement’ shocked him.
‘We prepare and we train hard for this, but when it happens, it’s obviously chaotic until you get it under control,’ he told the Des Moines Register. ‘I would also like to take a moment to just extend our condolences to those involved, the victims involved, the families, the witnesses that were here at the church.’
The church said it was ‘saddened’ by the event in a statement on its Facebook page, writing: ‘Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims.
The Salt Company, which hosts the weekly program, said: ‘We are grieving deeply. Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two young members of our Cornerstone Church community. It is believed that an adult male shot these two victims and then took his own life.’