A pastor’s wife has been charged with wanton endangerment after allegedly firing her pistol at the wife of a youth pastor in a West Virginia church parking lot.
Melinda Frye Toney, 44, who is married to Pastor Earl Toney of New Life Apostolic Church in Oak Hill, got into a heated altercation with Lori Haywood, 29, the wife of the church’s youth pastor. What began as a “minor conflict” soon escalated over a T-shirt Haywood had worn, according to the Register-Herald.
Fayette Sheriff’s Detective Kevin Willis told the newspaper that the women’s husbands reckoned that a meeting at the church could defuse the tension between the women. “The pastor and the youth pastor had thought, ‘Maybe we could get them together, we can hash this out and fix this before it escalates,'” Willis explained. “Of course, it just made it worse, I think.”
Willis said the women gathered May 11 at New Life with their husbands and children to discuss what Lori described as Melinda’s “dishonest statements.” When confronted, Lori said, Melinda “lost it.”
Melinda made her way out to the church parking lot to retrieve her pistol from her vehicle. Realizing what his wife seemingly intended, Pastor Earl followed her out and attempted to wrest the gun from his wife’s hands. A single shot allegedly fired in their ensuing scuffle.
Claiming the firearm went off as she was attempting to flee the church with her family, Lori said, “We were just trying to leave, peaceful. The reason for the shooting was stupid and very unnecessary.”
Lori subsequently called police and alleged that Melinda had intended to shoot her but conceded that the pastor’s wife may need a mental evaluation.
