A terrible tragedy shouldn't have happened in a peaceful place of faith and worship!
NEOSHO, Mo. - A gunman opened fire in the sanctuary of a southwest Missouri church Sunday, killing three people and wounding several others, authorities said.
About 25 to 50 people were briefly held hostage at the First Congregational Church until the gunman surrendered, Neosho spokeswoman Desiree Bridges said.
About four or five people were wounded, Police Chief Dave McCracken said, but several others who were injured fled the scene.
The gunman had two small-caliber handguns and one 9 mm semiautomatic machine pistol with a large magazine, McCracken said. The shooting followed the 1 p.m. service, which is held in Spanish.
The gunman surrendered to authorities after about 10 minutes of negotiation.
The shooter was being held at the Newton County Jail, but police were not releasing any information about him. Bridges said he was related to someone in the church, but declined to elaborate. No charges had been filed Sunday, McCracken said.
Source: AP via Forbes