Alabama: Pastor’s wife killed by stray bullet during Bible study in Mobile County

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A pastor’s wife in Mobile County, Alabama was killed during a Bible study last week when a stray bullet shot from outside went through a door of the church she was in and hit her in the chest, Christian Today (CT) reports. Police have arrested and charged an Alabama woman with murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling.

Grace Carter, 65 was inside the Everlasting Life Holiness Church (ELHC) in Prichard, Mobile County on the evening of December 28 when she was hit in the upper right chest with a bullet fired by 26-year-old Kaillyn Christine Howard Harris, Fox 10 reports. Mrs. Carter was the wife of church leader Cecil Carter, who is soon to be installed as the new pastor of Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church; Mrs. Carter often attended Bible study at ELHC.

In a statement to reporters about the shooting, Pastor Carter said: “I just don’t think that people should be shooting in places where you don’t know where a stray bullet could go.” The pastor added that his wife had been proud of him for being asked to lead the new church, and he spoke of the emptiness that faced him as began his new role without her. “Right now, I’m getting strength from knowing that God is able, and knowing that my wife is in a better place with the Lord,” he said.

According to CT, a local resident told reporters the shooting was all the more shocking as Mobile county is a quiet area. “It’s more of a retirement community. I’ve been over here at night, no gunfire, no nothing. So it’s a big shock to hear.”

Ms. Harris surrendered to police on Thursday 30 December, Fox 10 reports. According to WKRG in Mobile, Ms. Harris said in a statement outside the county jail: “I’m sorry and I didn’t intend to do this. Can y’all please forgive me?”

In a separate statement to WKRG, Prichard Police Chief Walter Knight said: “I just want to say she was very cooperative and very remorseful of the situation. It’s just such a tragic event that happened that altered the life of two families.”

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