At least one person was killed and two others were injured in a shootout by a suspect Thursday evening at an Alabama church potluck event.
Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, a town outside Birmingham, officials said at a news conference broadcast by WVTM-TV.
Police said officers received reports of a shooting at the church just after 6:20 p.m. and that first responders found three victims and took one suspect into custody.
According to officials, two of the unidentified victims were undergoing treatment at the hospital and one had died.
It was unclear what caused the violent attack, which came weeks after the high-profile massacres at a New York supermarket and an elementary school in Texas.
“The suspect involved in this incident is in custody and we do not know of any additional threat to the community of Vestavia Hills or neighboring areas,” Vestavia Hill Police Capt. Shane Ware said.
Religious officials told the station that there was a social event going on at the time, although they did not know how many people were present.
We are currently praying for healing and protection for all those who have been affected and affected, and also knowing that this is a painful thing for our community, and not just for our church,” the Rev. Kelly Hudlow, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Alabama.
“We need to do what is really good for this community, which is coming together to care for each other through prayers and thoughts and anything else.”
Police agencies from the surrounding area were present at the scene along with FBI investigators.
This story is developing.
