A woman shot a man dead in a church in Colombia on Monday, as attendees prepared to pray the Rosary before Mass. Source: Crux.
The attack also injured another churchgoer, a woman who was near the fatal victim and was hit by a bullet in the leg.
About 200 parishioners were gathered at St John Paul II Church, located in Cali, a city in southwest Colombia, on Monday afternoon, waiting to pray the Rosary.
According to parish priest Fr Oscar de la Vega, at least 1500 people usually take part in the prayer, which is regularly live-streamed on social media.
A video of the incident shows that a nun was at the altar making an introductory speech as the attendees arrived to pray when a number of shots were heard. The nun lies on the floor, and cries are heard coming from the pews.
CCTV footage showed that the attacker was sitting on a pew at the back of the temple before standing up and shooting at the victim. A man was waiting for her on a motorcycle outside of the church, and she left immediately after firing the shots.
The victim was identified as 50-year-old Erasmo Trujillo, described by Fr de la Vega as “an active member of the community” who attended Mass every week with his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Mr Trujillo died at the scene. The other victim was taken to a nearby clinic and received medical attention.
The church has remained closed since the incident that shocked the whole community. A Mass of reparation will be celebrated in the church today .
“That was an aggression not only on the victims, but also on religious freedom and on the church’s sacredness. As members of civil society, we must protect the public places, especially the religious ones,” Fr de la Vega said.
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Man shot dead before Mass inside of church in Colombia (By Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux)
