A shooting in Iowa has left three people dead, according to police.
Three people, including the suspected shooter, were killed on Thursday outside Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa, Story County Sheriff Capt. Nicholas Lennie said, per The Des Moines Register. The victims were two females while the suspected shooter, who police say killed himself, was a male. 911 calls about the shooting began to come in a little before 7 p.m., Lennie said.
“We are grieving deeply,” Mark Vance of the Salt Company youth ministry at Cornerstone Church said in a statement. “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.”
Vance’s statement continued, “Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims. Our Ministry staff are available to support all those impacted, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities as they complete their full investigation.”
The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the church, which is located around 30 miles from Des Moines.
“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,” Lennie said. “And our hearts are with them as well at this time.”
Authorities said they will be holding a press conference on Friday morning to discuss the incident, according to WHO13.
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