Nashville church shooting: 1 killed, 7 injured by man wearing mask (Update: Mugshot released)

A 25-year-old man named Emanuel Kidega Samson drove to the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville and opened fire. A woman walking to her car in the parking lot was shot and killed. The gunman, wearing a mask, then went inside and began shooting, injuring six more people. The shooting probably would have continued if not for one very brave usher who confronted the gunman. From News Channel 5:

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According to police, the gunman then entered the church through the main sanctuary door and fired multiple rounds.

Six innocent people were shot. Police said an usher inside confronted the shooter, who was then pistol whipped by the gunman.

Police said during a scuffle, the gunman accidentally shot himself in the leg. That’s when the usher ran and got his gun and held the gunman at gunpoint.

The shooter and the other victims were taken to area hospitals. The shooter is expected to survive. A reporter for News Channel 5 has a bit more detail:

An early report suggested the shooter had been wearing a “clown mask” but police later stated the mask was a neoprene half-mask of the type a skier might wear. So far no photos of the mask have been published.

Asked about his motive, police suggested they had an idea what it might be but were not ready to make a statement about it yet. Police had earlier said they were not aware of any connection between the gunman and the congregation. The Mayor of Nashville has issued a statement calling this a “terrible tragedy.”

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A list of the injured and their conditions has just been released:

Here’s the most recent update from police via CNN. If you skip to the end of this clip there’s also a statement from an eyewitness who walked over to the church before police had arrived:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pqp5i0WFUk

I’ll update this post as more information becomes available.

Update: The gunman…

Update: Shooter had attended the church in the past. He is a legal immigrant from Sudan. A civil rights investigation has been opened. Does that mean this is being looked at as a possible hate crime?  Church members, in this case, are predominately white according to Fox News. As mentioned above there was an indication from the police spokesman that they had some lead on a motive but they aren’t revealing it yet.

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Update: The shooter posted some cryptic messages on Facebook just before the shooting. From the Tennessean:

Samson, who according to his Facebook page is originally from the Sudan, wrote just before 11 a.m., “Everything you’ve ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real. & vice versa, B.”

Two photos posted this morning shows Samson flexing his muscles accompanied with the words “unrestricted paroxysm.” Paroxysm means a sudden attack or violent expression of emotion…

He also wrote, “You are more than what they told us.”

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On his way to jail:

Update: Statement from the man who confronted the shooter, held him at gunpoint:

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John Stossel 8:30 AM | October 12, 2024
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