An armed man's attempt to shoot a Pennsylvania pastor during a sermon was thwarted by a gun malfunction, but the suspect was later arrested for the unrelated murder of his cousin.
In a harrowing incident that has left a Pennsylvania community shaken, a pastor narrowly escaped an attempted shooting during a Sunday sermon after the assailant's gun malfunctioned.
Glenn Germany, pastor of Jesus' Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, was delivering his sermon when Bernard Junior Polite, 26, allegedly walked into the church, sat near the front, and eventually approached the pastor with a drawn handgun.
"I saw him coming up the aisle, and I thought he wanted to ask me a question," recalled Germany. "But then he pulled out a gun and pointed it at me."
Deacon Clarence McCallister, who was operating the church's livestream camera, witnessed the unfolding drama and sprung into action.
"I saw the gun and heard a click," said McCallister. "I thought, 'Oh, my God, thank God that gun jammed.'"
McCallister quickly tackled the suspect, and with the help of the pastor, wrestled the gun away and held him in place until police arrived.
"His finger was still on the trigger," said McCallister. "He was trying to shoot."
According to court documents, Polite told police he heard the church music and was drawn inside, where he allegedly intended to kill the pastor so he could clear his mind in jail.
"He said he was hearing voices from spirits that encouraged him to murder," Germany said. "He was possessed by spirits."
Investigators confirmed that the firing pin struck the primer, but the weapon failed to discharge.
Hours after the church incident, Polite's relatives called police to a nearby home where he lived with his cousin, Derek Polite. Paramedics found Derek Polite dead at the scene with a gunshot wound to the head consistent with the .380-caliber handgun recovered at the church.
Polite now faces murder charges in addition to attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. He is being held without bail at the Allegheny County Jail.
The incident has raised questions about gun violence and mental illness.
"Mental illness is serious," said McCallister. "This is something that needs to be taken seriously, and we need to do our best to recognize it."
Germany and McCallister said they had never seen Polite before the incident.
"As a pastor, I always try to look for the good in people," said Germany. "But this was pure evil."
The attempted shooting has shaken the North Braddock community, but it has also brought them together in support of the pastor and Deacon McCallister.
"We will not be deterred by this," said Germany. "We will continue to serve our community and spread the message of love and forgiveness."
McCallister added: "This church has been a safe haven for this community for over 70 years. We will not let this incident destroy that."
