Pastor Shoots and Kills Brick-Wielder During Sunday Service
For most people, the concept of a gun toting preacher is something you wouldn’t expect to encounter outside of a Quentin Tarantino film. But for the congregation of Church of God Ministries in Detroit, it was recently their reality. And in the middle of a Sunday service, nonetheless.
According to Detroit Police, officers responded to the scene of a shooting at the church on Grand River. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Deante Smith, a 25-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds, lying on the floor inside the church building. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later reported dead.
The shooter, it seems, was the pastor of the church. Witnesses say that Smith had walked into the church, interrupting the service, and wielding a brick in a threatening way. He threatened the congregation, and then allegedly tried to attack the pastor. At this point, the pastor pulled a loaded Glock out of his pocket and opened fire.
According to media sources, Smith was certain that the Pastor was having an affair with his wife. For weeks before the shooting, he ranted on Facebook about the fact that he was angry, hurt, and betrayed by the actions of his wife and the pastor. He also mentioned that his wife’s child was not in fact his, but rather, was the pastor’s progeny.
Just days before the shooting, he allegedly posted on his Facebook wall, “Can’t wait to see Sunday message at the City of God Ministry. I’ll be there with the truth.” And then later that day, another post “This (expletive) gonna hit the fan.”
After the shooting, the pastor remained on the scene to explain to police what had happened. He was transported to the police station, where he was interviewed and provided a statement. Police have said that he cooperated fully, and that the pastor was not at any point under arrest.
After talking with investigators for about two hours, the pastor was released. He returned home, but the truth is that this is far from over. The Detroit Police Department has turned this over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for a review of possible charges.
As of yet, the pastor has not been charged with a crime. It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the Prosecutor’s office believes that this is warranted.