MAQUOKETA, Iowa — No one should ever have to deal with the trauma and grief that 9-year-old Arlo Schmidt will carry with him for the rest of his life. The young boy's life was flipped upside down when his parents and younger sister were taken from him in a shooting at an Iowa state park.
The shooting happened Friday, July 22 at Maquoketa Caves State Park. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded at about 6:30 a.m. to reports of a shooting at the park's campgrounds.
When officers arrived, they found 42-year-old Tyler Schmidt, 42-year-old Sarah Schmidt and 6-year-old Lula Schmidt dead in their tent. The only survivor of the Cedar Falls, Iowa family was 9-year-old Arlo Schmidt.
Maquoketa Caves State Park will remain closed through Thursday, July 28, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. All camp reservation fees during the closure will be refunded.
Siblings of Sarah and Tyler and Sarah’s cousin established a GoFundMe campaign to help create a trust fund in Arlo's name. As of Monday afternoon, more than $200,000 has been raised.
A Meal Train page has also been established to cover food and grocery costs for the Schmidt family as they grieve their loss.
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