Pastor Killed, 2 Others Injured in Texas Church Shooting

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Jan 03, 2021 11:45 PM EST

(Photo : Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay )

A Texas church shooting on Sunday morning resulted in the death of a pastor and injuries of two other individuals. The shooting incident happened in the Starrville Methodist Church in Smith County.

According to NBC News,Texas authorities reported that the suspect was found hiding in the church's bathroom.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also confirmed the shooting incident in a statement. Abbott also sent his condolences to the victims and their families.

He noted that Texas first responders and local officials would ensure that justice would be served for the pastor and the injured.

Suspect in Shooting Was Hiding From Police

The New York Times reported that the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Mytrez Deunte Woolen of Marshall, Texas, was sought in two separate shootings on Saturday night.

Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith did not elaborate on these episodes. But he noted that the suspect's vehicle had a "fictitious" license plate that "didn't belong on that vehicle."

The Associated Press said police have been hunting him down with dogs and drones after his vehicle crashed near the church and ran into the woods.

Unaware that a fugitive was hiding in the church, pastor Mark McWilliams, 62, found the suspect hiding in the bathroom the following morning, holding a red bank bag that belonged to the church, the New York Times reported.

This is where the pastor drew his gun and told the suspect to stop. But the suspect lunged at the pastor, managed to grab his gun in the process, and shoot the pastor with it.

It led to the subsequent injuries of two other people. A man suffered a gunshot wound while the pastor's wife sustained injuries from a fall, the police said.

"He starts coming toward the front door, then he turns around and lunges at the pastor and was able to disarm the pastor, it appears at this time," Smith told news outlets.

The sheriff noted that the suspect most likely broke into the church after 2 a.m. on Sunday as the building had been searched on Saturday night.

The suspect stole the pastor's vehicle before he was arrested in Harrison County. Police said the suspect has a burn on his hand likely incurred from the shooting and had to be sent to a hospital for treatment.

Shooting Did Not Appear to Be 'Anti-Religious'

Smith said the shooting was being investigated as a capital murder case, adding that there seemed to be no evidence that religion motivated the crime.

"It was convenient for the guy to come out of the woods - it was cold last night - find him a warm place to stay, and apparently, he was still there when they came to church this morning," he said.

He noted that the church must have been the suspect's most reliable option at the time because the nearby homes surely had people in them.

Police believed that the suspect's presence in the shelter was just a matter of chance.

A resident of Starrville, Sam Griffith, who also attended service at the church, told New York Times that the pastor had been in the position for less than a year.

Griffith added that the pastor was preparing the building for that Sunday's morning service when the incident happened.

Tags Texas, Church, shooting