Man Arrested After Shooting In Pelham, NH Church, 2 People Injured
PELHAM, N.H. (CBS) -- A man was arrested after two people were shot at the New England Pentecostal Ministries in Pelham, New Hampshire Saturday morning. No one was killed.
Dale Holloway, 37, was arrested for first degree assault of 75-year-old Bishop Stanley Choate, who was presiding over a wedding at the church when the shooting occurred, according to Senior Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Agati.
Agati said police responded around 10:15 a.m. to a report that a man came inside the church and shot the bishop. When officers entered the church only minutes later, he said, they discovered Choate with a gunshot wound in his upper chest. They also found that wedding attendees had pinned Holloway to the ground as a group.
"From my understanding they basically gang-tackled him," said Pelham Police Chief Joseph Roark. "There was a struggle ensued, minor injuries occurred to the other guests who were in the struggle with the shooter.
Choate is receiving treatment at Tufts Medical Center but is in serious condition, Agati said.
Two other people were injured, he said. Claire McMullen, 60, suffered a gunshot wound to the arm, is being treated at a local hospital and is in good condition. Mark Castiglione, 60, was hit in the head by an object. He was treated at a local hospital and later released.
McMullen and Castiglione were the bride and groom at the wedding, according to Agati. Police do not believe this was a random incident.
Holloway is expected to be arraigned on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Nashua. State and local police are still investigating the incident.
Choate was not the first leader of the New England Pentacostal Ministries church to be shot this month. A memorial service was scheduled for Minister Luis Garcia Saturday afternoon, who was shot in Londonderry.
According to Agati, the man arrested for second degree murder of Garcia, Brandon Castiglione, is the son of the groom. He said it is still unclear if there is a connection between the two incidents.
"Luis was shot, and now there's a shooting at his church," said Donna MacIver, a friend of Garcia's.
Police had conducted active shooting training at the church in the past year.
Governor Chris Sununu issued a statement on Twitter. "While this remains a very active scene, the State of New Hampshire will provide all necessary resources to support the community and our local partners," he said.