Investigators in Maryville, Illinois, are trying to determine why a man entered a Baptist church Sunday morning, shot and killed the pastor, and injured some of the parishioners.
The morning service was underway at the First Baptist Church in Maryville when a man walked down the aisle with a gun.
Pastor Fred Winters, who had led the congregation for more than 20 years, was at the pulpit and asked if he could help the man.
Illinois State Trooper Ralph Timmins says "at which time he pulled out a gun and shot the pastor."
Horrified members of the congregation watched in disbelief.
Witness Claudia Bohley says "they were down on their knees, screaming and praying. It was terrible."
Witness Don Bohley says "we don't know what anyone would have against our pastor."
Winters died shortly afterwards while enroute to the hospital.
Claudia says "I just can't believe it. How this can happen. We've seen it before, on your news, and it happened to us. It's just unbelievable."
Police say the violence could have been worse. After four shots, the assailant's gun jammed. He pulled out a knife, wounding himself and two church members who tried to subdue him. Their injuries were not life threatening.
Winters was a father of two and a former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Investigators and church members were unsure whether the pastor knew the suspect.
Associate Pastor Reverend Mark Jones says "we have no idea what this guy's motives were. We may never know."
A puzzling act of violence that's shaken this community.
Authorities have not yet identified the attacker other than to say he's a 27-year-old, white male from Troy, Illinois.
Maryville is about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. Police say about 150 parishioners were at the service at the time of the shooting.
