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A third victim of the shooting in St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, succumbed to her injuries Friday, according to police.
Police did not divulge her name but described her as an 84-year-old white woman who had been transported to a nearby hospital for treatment after the shooting on Thursday evening. Her death brings the toll up to three.
ALABAMA SHOOTING SUSPECT SUBDUED BY ‘HERO’ CHURCH ATTENDEE
“It is with great sadness that the Vestavia Hills Police Department reports the passing of the third shooting victim from Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church. An 84-year-old white female was transported, from the scene to UAB hospital for treatment on the evening of June 16, 2022,” the Vestavia Hills police said in a Facebook post.
“The family of the victim asks that we do not release her name for reasons of privacy. Our thoughts and prayers continuously go out to the victims, their families, and all who are affected by this tragic event,” police said.
The suspected shooter, whose name has not been released, was a 71-year-old white man who occasionally visited the church, according to police. He was subdued by an attendee at the church and restrained until police arrived to take him into custody, where he currently remains.
“The person that subdued him is a hero,” Capt. Shane Ware said during a press conference Friday.
A motive for the shooting has not been revealed, but police believe he acted alone and stressed that he no longer poses a threat to the community. During the shooting, at least three people were struck by gunfire, including the 84-year-old woman. The other two victims had died as well. Walter Rainey, 84, was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived on the scene. Sarah Yeager, 75, was transported to a nearby hospital after the shooting Thursday evening but died later that night.
Parishioners had been participating in a “Boomer’s Potluck Dinner” when the gunman opened fire. The suspect is in jail and will face capital murder charges, according to Ware.
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Following the shooting, locals gathered outside the church parking lot Thursday night in prayer for the victims, WBRC reported. The Rev. John Burruss, the rector of the church, was away when the shooting took place but pleaded for prayers for the tragedy in a statement.
“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.
