Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, of Nebraska, Murders A Family At Iowa Campground Before Killing Himself

Boy, 9, is orphaned after deranged gunman, 23, shot his mother, father and six-year-old sister during family vacation at Iowa campground before killing himself in 'random act of violence' 

A nine-year-old boy was orphaned after a 23-year-old gunman killed his mother, father and sister, 6, at an Iowa campground before shooting himself in an apparent 'random act of violence.' Police said Arlo Schmidt, of Cedar Falls, was the sole survivor of the deadly encounter that took place Friday when Anthony Sherwin, of Nebraska, shot parents Sarah and Tyler Schmidt, both 42, and their daughter Lula. Arlo was uninjured, and Sherwin was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound just west of the campgrounds at the Maquoketa Caves State Park in Maquoketa, Iowa. It is unclear if Arlo was in the same place as his sister and parents when they were murdered, and further information about how he was spared has not emerged. A motive is also unclear. Officials are unsure if Sherwin - who was visiting from La Vista, Nebraska, had any connection to the victims. DailyMail.com has contacted his family for further information. He lived with them in a neat apartment, and local police say he had no known criminal record. His Facebook page is completely blank, bar a black square that he used as his profile picture. Sarah's sister, Jana Morehouse, mourned the loss of her sibling and called the attack 'a random act of violence.' Mitch Mortvedt, from the Iowa Department of Public Safety also suggested that the attack may well have been random. '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.' 'Today, my life has been shattered,' Morehouse wrote. 'My beautiful, smart, funny, curly haired sister, her husband, and their 6 year old daughter were victims of a random act of violence while camping as a family in Iowa. 'Their 9 year old son was able to survive and has a lifetime of trauma ahead.' The family of the victims have set up a GoFundMe page to help support Arlo and set up an education fund for his future. Source