One dead and seven injured in church shooting stopped by 'hero' usher
Masked gunman enters Nashville church after shooting woman dead
Man who tackled suspect pistol-whipped before gunman shoots self
A masked gunman entered a church in Tennessee on Sunday and opened fire, killing one person and injuring seven others before shooting himself, an official said. Nashville mayor Megan Barry called the shooting “a terrible tragedy for our city”.
Metropolitan Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said a church usher who confronted the gunman was pistol-whipped by the suspect, who then apparently shot himself during a struggle. The usher then went to his own car to retrieve his own gun, Aaron said, returned and stood over the suspect until police arrived.
A witness said that without the usher, who was not immediately named, the situation “could be worse”. She called him a hero. Aaron called the usher “an extraordinarily brave individual”.
The police spokesman identified the suspect as 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson of Murfreesboro. He was discharged from Vanderbilt University Hospital. Charging warrants were being obtained.
Aaron said the gunman arrived at the parking lot as services were ending at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in the Antioch neighborhood. The suspect fatally shot a woman who was walking to her vehicle, then entered the rear of the church where six people were shot.
The witness, Minerva Rosa, has been a member at the church for eight years and was inside when the suspect opened fire. The suspect said nothing as he shot churchgoers, she said. As the gunman made his way down the aisle, Rosa said, the pastor started shouting, “Run! Run! Gunshots!”
The gunman and five others were treated for gunshot wounds at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Aaron said. One gunshot victim and the man who was struck with the pistol were taken to Skyline Medical Center.
Aaron said he was “not aware” of any relationship between the alleged gunman and any of the worshippers inside the church. Congregants were being interviewed.
In a statement, Barry said her “heart aches for the family and friends of the deceased as well as for the wounded victims and their loved ones. Their lives have been forever changed, as has the life of their faith community at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ.”
The small, yellow brick church describes itself on its website as a “friendly, Bible based group of folks who love the Lord and are interested in spreading His Word to those who are lost”. Photos on the church’s Facebook page show a diverse congregation with people of various ages and ethnicities.
The mayor said her administration would “continue to work with community members to stop crime before it starts, encourage peaceful conflict resolution, and promote non-violence”.
