A church potluck on Thursday was intruded by a shooter who open fired and left two people dead and one person injured.
In Vestavia Hills, Alabama, two people's lives were taken when an active shooter opened fire during an evening potluck at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. At about 6:22 p.m. on Thursday, Vestavia Hills Police Department responded to a scene at the church, where an active shooter had injured two and killed one.
According to the Daily Beast, one of the two injured victims had later died, police said. Rev. Kelley Hudlow with the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama told WVTM 13, "We're gonna need a lot of love."
Suspect at Alabama Church Shooting Apprehended
On Thursday, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church hosted what they called a "Boomers Potluck" from 5 to 7 p.m. The Daily Mail reported that as per Rev. Hudlow, they did not know how many people were inside the building at the time the suspect entered and open fired at the congregation, who were inside.
"We are praying for healing and safety for all of those who have been impacted and affected," Rev. Hudlow said. "We are praying for everyone involved and we are trying to get as much information about what happened as we can get."
Victims of the Alabama church shooting were taken to Birmingham's UAB hospital, which is the only level one trauma center in the state. Captain Shane Ware of Vestavia Hills police confirmed that the suspect is already in custody.
Alabama Community Comes Together to Pray
Following the horrific Alabama church mass shooting, community members came together to offer their thoughts and prayers for the victims of the incident. According to Fox 9, community members gathered in the parking lot of a nearby Publix to form a large circle, hold hands, and offer prayers to the victims of the latest mass shooting in the U.S. Many community members fought back tears as they prayed. Church representatives said they wish to blanket the community in prayer as well.
Governor Kay Ivey released a statement following the Alabama church shooting, saying that the local government wants to "offer our prayers for the victim's family, the injured and the entire church community." The 77 year old Republican leader added, "This should never happen - in a church, in a store, in the city or anywhere. We continue to closely monitor the situation."
Police are set to hold a briefing on Friday morning, when they would release more information about the incident.
The attack at Alabama's St. Stephen's Episcopal Church comes after the shooting incident at a church luncheon that a Taiwanese Presbyterian congregation held at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California. According to Reuters, the suspect was David Chou, a licensed security guard from Nevada who traveled to California to open fire at the Taiwanese-American church luncheon. Chou was charged with murder, attempted murder and use of a destructive device for killing one and wounding five more in what was found to be a racially motivated attack.
Related Article: Christian Leaders Weigh In On Tragic Uvalde Shooting Incident
