A man shot and killed two women in the parking lot of a church in Iowa before turning the gun on himself. 

Members of the Cornerstone Church of Armes, near Des Moines, gathered in the parking lot comforting each other after two female members were shot dead by an unidentified shooter on Thursday around 7pm. 

The shooter is said to have killed himself after the shooting, police reported. 

It is unclear if the three knew each other or what the motive was at this time. Police will be addressing the public around 11.30am EST after a church service. 

The violent event occurred while the Summer Salt – a program for college-aged members – was going on inside, said Nicholas Lennie, chief deputy of the Story County Sheriff’s Office. It is estimated that around 1,300 students gather weekly for the program. Yesterday was the first meeting of the summer. 

When deputies arrived on scene they found all three dead, Lennie said, adding that he could not provide identities nor disclose what the relationship between them may have been.

‘This appears to be an isolated, single-shooter incident,’ Lennie said.

People console each other after the shooting outside Cornerstone Church on Thursday, June 2, in Ames, Iowa

People hugging and consoling one another after the shooting outside the Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa

People embrace outside the Cornerstone Church after the shooting on Thursday. Two members of the church were killed by a gunman in the parking lot

Lennie told the Des Moines Register that he was ‘shocked’ by the shooting a member of ‘law enforcement.’ 

‘We prepare and we train hard for this, but when it happens, it’s obviously chaotic until you get it under control,’ he told the Des Moines Register. ‘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.’ 

DailyMail.com has attempted to contact the Sherriff’s Office and church for comment. 

The church said it was ‘saddened’ by the event in a statement on its Facebook page, writing: ‘Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims. 

The Salt Company, which hosts the weekly program, said: ‘We are grieving deeply. 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.’ 

The shooting took place at Cornerstone Church of Armes (pictured), near Des Moines 

The church said it was ‘saddened’ and ‘heartbroken’ about the event in a statement 

Vance declined to give further details about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. 

Churchgoers reportedly remained on the grounds and inside the church for hours after the shooting, and photos from the scene show groups of people hugging one another in tears.

In a tweet, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds characterized the shooting as ‘senseless violence.’

‘Tonight’s act of senseless violence took the lives of two innocent victims at their place of worship. Kevin and I grieve for the families who have suffered an unfathomable loss.’ 

The shooting is the latest in a string of mass-shootings that have plagued the US in recent weeks. 

On May 14, an 18-year old white supremacist, Payton Gendron, murdered 10 people inside a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, with an assault rifle.

Then on May 24, another 18-year-old shooter murdered 19 elementary school students and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

The following holiday weekend there were at least 14 ‘mass shootings’ across the US according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country. 

Children run to safety after escaping from a window during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, in Texas, where a Ramos killed nineteen children and two teachers

Mourners on Thursday place flowers on crosses with the names of children killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas 

People gather outside Tops market on May 15, 2022, in Buffalo, New York, a day after a gunman opened fire at the store, killing 10 people

Police officers and emergency personnel responding to reports of a shooter at the St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 1

On June 1, 45-year old Michael Louis shot four people dead at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was targeting a doctor he blamed for his chronic back pain. 

In a rare evening address on Thursday, President Biden characterized American communities as ‘killing fields,’ while calling for a ban on assault weapons. 

‘Enough, enough. It’s time for each of us to do our part,’ the president said, ‘For the children we’ve lost. For the children we can save. For the nation we love.’ 

‘Let’s meet the moment. Let us finally do something.’