A shooting outside an Iowa church Thursday evening left three people dead, including the suspected gunman.
As reported by Fox News, a man shot and killed two female victims in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames at around 7 p.m. At the time of the incident, the church had been holding an event for college-age kids. The suspect later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to a statement posted on the church's website, the two victims were a part of "our Cornerstone Community."
"Due to the ongoing investigation, we are not able to give any details at this time. We can say, however, that we are more than saddened by the events that transpired. Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims," a statement from the church reads.
"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."
So far, the names of the victims and the suspect have not been publicly disclosed.
"We sincerely appreciate the responsiveness of the Story County Sheriff's Department, Ames PD, and all Law Enforcement Officials who have handled this matter with exceptional professionalism and compassion," the church added. "Please join us in praying for all affected and their families," the church wrote before citing Psalm 34:18. The verse reads, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted."
"Right now, we are brokenhearted, and we need God to draw near to us," the statement concluded.
Cornerstone Church will be holding a prayer service Friday morning amid the tragedy.
Further, the Story County Sheriff's Office will hold a press conference on Friday a release more information about the shooting.
"At this time, the Story County Sheriff's Office can confirm that there are three people deceased, one of them being the male identified as the shooter," a statement posted by the police department's Facebook page said. "There is not an ongoing threat to the community. There will be no further updates at this time."
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Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Chalabala
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
