Alabama church shooting kills 2, wounds 1; suspect detained

The event was a “Boomers Potluck” gathering inside the church, said messages posted on the church’s Facebook page by the Rev

A gunman opened fire at a potluck dinner inside a suburban Alabama church, killing two members and wounding a third before being taken into custody on Thursday, authorities said.

Emergency dispatchers got a call at around 6:20 pm local time, reporting an active shooter at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, said Police Capt. Shane Ware.

A suspect was detained and the wounded victim was being treated at a hospital, Ware said at a press conference late on Thursday.

Police declined to identify the suspect or the victims, or provide further details on the attack. Another briefing was planned on Friday.

The event was a “Boomers Potluck” gathering inside the church, said messages posted on the church’s Facebook page by the Rev. John Burruss, the pastor.

He said he was in Greece on a pilgrimage with a group of members and trying to get back to Alabama.

“More than anything, I ask your prayers for our community, especially those who are injured and the families of the deceased. These are the pillars of our community, and I cannot begin to fathom how painful this is for our entire church, and the larger community,” he wrote.