(Reuters) – A suspect opened fire inside a suburban Alabama church on Friday, killing one person and injuring two others before he was taken into custody, police said.
The gunfire erupted at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Captain Shane Ware of the Vestavia Hills Police Department told a news conference.
Local media reported the church was holding a potluck gathering at the time. Vestavia Hills is a city of some 40,000 people about seven miles southeast of Birmingham.
“Three people were shot. Two are currently being treated. Unfortunately one of the persons that was shot is deceased,” Ware said.
Ware said a suspect, who was not identified, had been arrested following the attack. Police did not speculate on a motive for the rampage.
“This is a traumatic thing that has happened to our community, not just the church,” Reverend Kelley Hudlow told local WVTM-TV in an interview. Hudlow said that no church staff members were hurt in the shooting.
(This story corrects spelling of reverend in final paragraph)
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Eric Beech; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
