2 dead, plus suspected shooter, outside Iowa church
CNN —
Two people were found fatally shot Thursday evening in a church parking lot in Ames, Iowa, police said.
The suspected shooter was also dead in the lot at the Cornerstone Church, they said.
Both victims were female, and the shooter was a man, the Des Moines Register reported, citing police and church officials.
The shooting came the same night President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the need for stricter gun laws. Gun massacres have left the country shaken and prompted new discussions about how to prevent them. The most recent incident was just a day earlier, when a man bought an AR-15 style rifle and attacked an Oklahoma hospital, killing four people and then himself.
In Iowa, authorities got a call of shots fired in the parking lot at 6:51 p.m., they said.
Capt. Nicholas Lennie of the Story County Sheriff’s Department said he did not know if the suspect knew the victims.
It appeared the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot, Lennie told the newspaper.
The shooting happened during the first summer night of a college ministry program called Salt Company, CNN affiliate KCCI reported. Ames, 30 miles north of Des Moines, is home to Iowa State University.
The sheriff’s office planned to provide more information Friday morning at 10:30 CT.
Cornerstone is a “megachurch with dozens of staff,” the newspaper said.
The church planned a prayer service Friday morning at 10, Pastor Mike Vance said in a statement.
“Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected,” he said. “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.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement on Facebook.
“Tonight’s act of senseless violence took the lives of two innocent victims at their place of worship,” she said. “We ask that Iowans pray for the victims and their families, the members of Cornerstone Church, and the entire Ames community.”
