Authorities said a pastor was killed and three others, including the gunman, were injured in a shooting at a Texas church Sunday.
The shooting took place at Starrville Methodist Church in Smith County, about 100 miles east of Dallas.
Sheriff Larry Smith of Smith County said at a news conference Sunday night that the police officer was pursuing the police officer.
It was unclear what set the chase in motion, but the sheriff said the plates on the man’s Volkswagen Jetta were “fictitious – they do not belong in the vehicle.”
During the chase, the gunman swung a shotgun through the sunroof of the Jetta, he said. A state troop in a patrol car hit the car driving the man and the man fled into the woods, Sheriff Smith said.
A two-hour manhunt in which drones and dogs were used was not successful, he said. The man is hiding somewhere in the church late Saturday or early Sunday.
Sunday around 9:30 a.m. local time, the pastor, his wife and two others entered the church, unaware that the fugitive was inside, Sheriff Smith said.
The man, who was hiding in the toilet, confronted the pastor, who drew his gun and asked the gunman to leave, the sheriff said.
But as they moved to the front door, the man jumped to the pastor and grabbed the gun and shot and killed the pastor. It was unclear what kind of gun the pastor had or what the man had with the shotgun during the chase.
The gunman, who was not identified, sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand, Sheriff Smith said, although it is unclear who shot him.
Another person was shot and was in an operation at UT Health East Texas Hospital on Sunday afternoon, officials said. The person’s condition was unclear.
Another person, a woman who was not shot, sustained non-life-threatening injuries due to a fall during the chaos after the shooting. She was in the same hospital in a stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The shooting happened before people gathered for church services.
There were four people, with the exception of the gunman, in the church at the time of the shooting, Sheriff Smith said. Authorities did not immediately identify the victims.
The sheriff apparently did not have a religious motive, the sheriff said.
“It was comfortable for the man to get out of the woods – it was cold last night – to find him a warm place and apparently he was still there when they came to church this morning,” Sheriff Smith said.
The gunman “had one of the red pews belonging to the church in his hand” when the pastor discovered him in the restroom, Sheriff Smith said.
The gunman fled the scene in the car of the pastor before being apprehended by state authorities, the sheriff said. The gunman will be transferred for questioning to the Sheriff’s Office in Smith County for questioning.
Sheriff Smith has said he will file charges of capital murder against district attorney Jacob Putman, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Government Greg Abbott said in a statement that the state ‘has worked closely with respondents and local officials to ensure that justice is served and that the Starrville community has the necessary resources during that time.’
In a separate message on Twitter, he said, “Texas will seek quick justice for the shooter.”