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U.S. NEWS Monday 25 SepteMber 2017
Gunman opens fire

in Nashville church;

1 dead, 7 wounded

By KRISTIN M. HALL Aaron called Engle “an
Associated Press extraordinarily brave indi-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A vidual.”
masked gunman invaded The gunman and six others
a Tennessee church Sun- were treated for gunshot
day and opened fire, walk- wounds at nearby hospi-
ing silently down the aisle tals, along with Engle, who
as he shot unsuspecting was pistol-whipped, Aaron
congregants. said.
At least one person was Witnesses were being inter-
killed and seven others viewed by police.
wounded, authorities said. Aaron said as many as 50
An usher confronted the people were in the church
shooter, who apparently at the time of the shooting,
shot himself accidentally and that all victims were
in the struggle, authorities adults.
said. The small brick church de-
No motive for the shooting scribes itself on its website
was immediately deter- as a “friendly, Bible-based This undated photo provided by Metro Nashville Police Depart-
ment shows Emanuel Kidega Samson.
mined. Investigators said group of folks who love the Associated Press
they were not aware of Lord and are interested in
any relationship between spreading his word to those
the gunman and any of who are lost.”
the worshippers, said Don Photos on the church’s
Aaron, spokesman for the Facebook page show a
Metro Nashville Police De- diverse congregation with
partment. people of various ages and
The gunman pulled into the ethnicities.
parking lot as services were After the attack, the near-
ending at the Burnette by New Beautiful Gate
Chapel Church of Christ in Church opened its doors
the Antioch neighborhood. to reunite Burnette Cha-
He fatally shot a woman pel churchgoers and loved
who was walking to her ve- ones.
hicle, then entered the rear New Beautiful Gate Pastor
of the church and kept fir- Michael Moseby said he
ing, shooting six people, is neighbors with Burnette
police said. Chapel Pastor Joey Spann
It was unclear whether the and “my heart goes out to
self-inflicted wound was in- him and his whole church.
tentional, said Aaron said. “As a pastor myself, you
The gunman was identified come with the expectation
as Emanuel Kidega Sam- of sitting down and having
son, 25, of Murfreesboro. a service and not thinking
Hours after the attack, he about what can happen
was under police guard at around you,” Moseby said.
Vanderbilt University Hospi- “You never know who is
tal. going to come to the door
Authorities were process- or what reasons they would
ing warrants to charge him, come to the door, come to
Aaron said. your church and do some-
Witness Minerva Rosa said thing like that.
the usher, identified by po- We’re always on guard.
lice as 22-year-old Robert We just thank God many
Engle, was “a hero.” more weren’t hurt.”
“He’s amazing,” said Rosa, Nashville Mayor Megan
a member of the church for Barry said in a statement
eight years. “Without him, I that the shooting was “a
think it could be worse.” terrible tragedy for our
The suspect said nothing as city.” She said her admin-
he shot churchgoers. istration “will continue to
As the gunman made his work with community mem-
way down the aisle, Rosa bers to stop crime before it
said, the pastor started starts, encourage peaceful
shouting, “’Run! Run! Gun- conflict resolution, and pro-
shots!’” mote non-violence.”q