Stray bullet kills Alabama pastor’s wife in Bible study

Police have arrested and charged a 26-year-old Alabama woman with the murder of a pastor’s wife after a stray bullet killed her while attending a Bible study at church.

Police in Prichard, Mobile County have arrested suspect Kaillyn Christine Howard Harris on charges of firing the gunshot that killed Grace Carter, 65, the wife of a church pastor Baptist Sunlight Missionary, Fox 10 reported.

Grace Carter was inside Everlasting Life Holiness Church Tuesday night when she was shot in the chest.

“I just don’t think people should shoot in places where you don’t know where a stray bullet could go,” said the victim’s husband, Cecil Carter, who is an elected pastor at another church.

Police say she went to church after 7 p.m. and started CPR on the victim but were unable to resuscitate her, WKRG reported.

An investigator noticed a bullet impact in a church door and discovered that she had been shot in the upper right of the chest.

“The shooting in the church was really heartbreaking for us last night,” said Lieutenant Robert Martin of the Prichard Police Force. “Every time someone is killed in our jurisdiction or in any municipality, it touches the offices with real compassion, and we are really fed up.”

Cecil Carter lost his wife while awaiting installation as pastor at church. “She was really looking forward to this,” he said of his wife for 35 years. “She was very proud” of him, he continued. “But for now, the vacuum that she’s not there for the installation is going to be difficult for me.”

He added, “Right now I am getting strength knowing that God is able and knowing that my wife is in a better place with the Lord. And there is no doubt that she loved the Lord. So I have to be strong for her, and myself, and for my family, my children and all.

This is the third homicide in the city since Christmas Eve, according to media reports.

“It’s more of a community of retirees. I’ve been here at night, no shots, no nothing. So it’s a big shock to hear, ”said a neighbor. “It’s sad and I hate that it happened at church. Like I said, it’s a quiet area and I met the neighbors; they are good people, old-fashioned people.

Police said the incident did not appear to be an intentional shooting.