One injured, two dead in church shooting; suspect arrested

Two people were killed and one was injured when a lone suspect fired on a small group meeting at a suburban church near a major city in Alabama Thursday evening, authorities said. The suspect was taken into custody.

An attack has been reported at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, a suburban Birmingham suburb, Police Capt. Shane Ware said. At 6:22 p.m., dispatchers received a call reporting an active shooter at the church. He said officers rushed to the scene.

“From what we’ve gathered from the circumstances of this evening, a lone suspect entered a small church group meeting and began shooting. Three people were shot. Two people are deceased. One person is being treated for an unknown injury at a local hospital,” Ware said at a late Thursday news briefing.

17 June 2022