Homicide And Gun Crime News 05/07/2023

(May 4) Lynchburg Church Leaders On Floyd Street Weigh In On Tragic Shooting Death Of 6-Year-Old | Lynchburg, VA

Church leaders on Floyd Street are weighing in on the tragic shooting death of a 6-year-old in Lynchburg.

Both Gospel Community Church College Hill and Westminster Presbyterian Church are just a short distance from where Kingston Campbell was killed in the 1500 block of Floyd Street.

Reverend Shawn Hyska at Westminster Presbyterian said he's filled with grief over the loss of this innocent child.

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(May 4) Man Arrested After Telling Metro Dispatcher He Would ‘Shoot Up A School Or Church’ | Nashville, TN

Metro Nashville Police arrested a man on Wednesday after he allegedly called their non-emergency number saying he would, “shoot up a school or church.”

Police said officers arrested Joshua Jones, 33, after he called the communications center’s non-emergency number and told the operator he had funds to purchase a weapon and would “shoot up a school or church.”

He also allegedly told the operator he would harm responding officers.

Officers were able to take Jones into custody on Bell Road without incident. Police said he has a history of making threats by phone. Jones was arrested in 2021 and 2019 for calling 911 and making bomb threats.

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(May 3) Vestavia Hills Church Shooter Pleads Guilty To Killing Three; Avoids Death Penalty | AL 

The man charged in a deadly shooting inside a Vestavia Hills church last year pleaded guilty Tuesday.
Robert Findlay Smith was charged with capital murder after three people were shot and killed at St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

The victims were identified as 84-year-old Walter Rainey of Irondale, 75-year-old Sarah Yeager of Pelham, and 84-year-old Jane Pounds of Hoover.

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(May 3) 1 Shot After Domestic Dispute In Church Parking Lot, South Holland Police Say | Chicago, IL

South Holland police said one person was injured in a shooting following a domestic dispute Tuesday afternoon.

Police said two men got into a domestic dispute in the parking lot of Power and Light Evangelistic Church on South Park Avenue, adjacent to Beacon Hill Preparatory Academy.

No one in the church or school or any bystanders were harmed, police said. One of the men suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

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(May 2) Cook County Church Shooting: Pair Charged After Gunfire Erupts During Funeral Service Fight | Maywood, IL

Two men have been charged after a fight broke out at a Maywood church last week that resulted in shots being fired and one person wounded.

According to police, a large group of over 50 people began physically fighting inside the Rock of Ages Baptist Church on Friday morning, leading to gunshots being fired and one person struck.

Maywood police officers responded quickly to the scene and were able to apprehend two Chicago men in connection with the incident.

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