Ames Cornerstone Church shooting: Man kills 2 women and then shoots himself in Iowa
AMES, LOWA: A shooting occurred just before 7 pm outside Cornerstone Church in Ames on Thursday, June 2 night, according to the Story County Sheriff's Office. The shooter shot two females to death and then shot himself but his death is still being investigated, said Nicholas Lennie, Story County Sheriff's Office Captain.
The sheriff's office couldn't identify the two women or gunman or give details about what led to the shooting. A news conference is planned for Friday, June 3, morning. The ages of the women have not been revealed yet and the case is under investigation. The church is near Interstate 35, about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) north of Des Moines.
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Officials said that they received multiple 911 calls at 6:51 pm on Thursday, June 2. The shooting happened during Salt Company, a college ministry program at the church that involved college students. It was the first summer night of the program at Cornerstone and no shooting happened inside the church. No other injuries were reported.
In an interview, Lennie spoke with KCCI regarding the shooting and said, "There was a program going on. We do have other individuals inside the church. We do not have any other information at this point if anybody else was injured in this. We are working through the process of investigating this incident and speaking with the others inside the church".
Cornerstone Pastor Mike Vance released the following statement regarding the shooting. "Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two young members of our Cornerstone Church 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. 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," he said.
"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," he added.