2 Killed and 1 Injured in Alabama Church Shooting, 71-Year-Old Suspect in Custody (UPDATE)
Authorities say the incident took place at the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church located in Vestavia Hills. A 71-year-old suspect was taken into custody.
UPDATED 6/17, 1:20 p.m.: AL.com reports the suspect, who has only been identified as a 71-year-old man, has been taken into custody.
Police released the names of the two victims who died in the shooting, Walter “Bart” Rainey, 84, and Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham. Jane Pounds, 84, was hospitalized after sustaining critical injuries.
Rev. Doug Carpenter said a fellow church member approached the gunman who called himself “Mr. Smith” about joining another table because he was sitting by himself during the “Boomers Potluck” dinner at the church. The suspect declined the invite and eventually pulled out a handgun, shooting three people.
Another person at the event named Jim Musgrove struck “Mr. Smith” with a chair and managed to wrestle the gun away. Vestavia Hills Police Capt. Shane Ware said the suspect was subdued and held down until officers arrived. “It was extremely critical in saving lives,’’ Ware said. “In my opinion, he’s a hero.”
About 25 people attended the dinner, and no one knew who “Mr. Smith” was, despite claiming to be a former church member. Police, however, indicated they were familiar with the gunman, and knew where he lived and what car he drove. Ware would only confirm “Mr. Smith” previously attended services at this church, but declined to delve into any further details.
“Any past interactions involving this suspect are currently being investigated by numerous agencies,’’ he said. “It would premature for me at this time to go into that topic.”
See the original story below.
A shooting at an Alabama church has left at least two people dead and others injured.
The Vestavia Hill Police Department said the incident took place at around 6 p.m. local time at the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills located outside of Birmingham. Police Cpt. Shane Ware told reporters a total of three people were wounded during the shooting.
Two people have died while another person is receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital, according to ABC News.
During a Thursday night press conference, Ware said he didn’t have any identifying information about the victims or the shooter. He did, however, confirm that the suspect was taken into custody and “there is no additional threat to the community.”
According to the church’s website, a “Boomers Potluck” was scheduled to take place from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the place of worship. It’s unclear how many people were inside the church at the time of the shooting.
Ware went on to thank the multiple law enforcement agencies—including the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Marshals Service—for assisting police in the response. He did not reveal the circumstances surrounding the shooting or how the suspect was ultimately apprehended.
Stay tuned as more details become available.
The incident follows a series of high-profile mass shootings across the country, including one at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 people dead; and another at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, where 19 children and two adults were fatally shot. Since then, calls for tighter gun control measures have significantly increased. Just last week, thousand of protestors hit the streets for the nationwide March for Our Lives rally, an anti-gun violence demonstration created by Parkland survivors.
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