A Pennsylvania man tried to shoot a local pastor in the middle of a Sunday sermon, but the attacker’s gun jammed, giving a congregant and the minister a chance to subdue him without anyone being hurt.
The harrowing encounter was caught on the church’s live stream before authorities found a man shot to death at the home of the pastor’s would-be shooter, CBS News reported.
No charges were immediately brought in connection with the slaying.
Pastor Glenn Germany was in the middle of a sermon at Jesus’ Dwelling Place church in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, when 26-year-old Bernard Polite approached the pulpit and allegedly attempted to shoot the minister, as seen in video footage that quickly went viral online.
A church service in Pennsylvania was interrupted by a man who pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot the pastor, but the gun jammed https://t.co/fitPuvleZV pic.twitter.com/6dRhnOCaCG
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 6, 2024
The gun failed to discharge, allowing Germany to run for cover while another church member tackled Polite.
Germany then managed to wrestle the gun out of the gunman’s hand.
“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Germany told the CNN affiliate WTAE.
Germany told WTAE that he had not seen the gunman before the attempted shooting on Sunday.
He added that he saw the gunman smile at him before the attempted shooting.
“I started to begin to preach and all of a sudden, from my left-hand side, I saw him move from the back to the front of the church, and he set up in the front corner of the church and smiled at me,” Germany told WTAE.
He added: “All of a sudden, I just saw a gun pointing right at me. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover.”
Germany spoke with Polite briefly after police arrested Polite. Germany said it was clear to him that Polite was dealing with some form of mental illness.
“This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody,” Germany recounted to CBS.
The pastor also said that Polite told him he was hearing voices, a symptom seen in cases of schizophrenia.
Germany added that Polite apologized to him and that he had forgiven him.
The preacher also praised the member of his congregation who jumped in to take down the gunman.
“He could have lost his life in that struggle,” Germany said. “But he sacrificed himself for everyone, and he’s the hero.”
Polite faces multiple charges, including attempted homicide, and is being detained at a jail in Pittsburgh ahead of a criminal court appearance.
According to a criminal complaint, Polite told police that he had tried to shoot Germany because “God told him to do it” – and that he was hoping to go to jail to clear his mind.
