On Sunday, an armed guy came up to the front of Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in Pennsylvania, held a gun to the pastor’s face, and pulled the trigger without warning.
Pastor Glenn Germany speculated that what transpired next could have been divine intervention.
“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here because he pulled the trigger,” Germany told CNN affiliate WTAE.
The gunman “attempted to shoot, but the firearm failed to discharge,” Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement.
The event in North Braddock was filmed on the church’s livestream video. Immediately after the gunman pulled the trigger, a church member tackled the suspect.
Bernard Junior Polite, 26 years old, was recognized as the suspect by state police.
It’s unclear why the man attempted to shoot the pastor. WTAE stated that Germany claimed he had never seen the gunman until Sunday.
“All of a sudden, I have just seen a gun pointing right at me,” the pastor told the affiliate. “And at that point, all I could do was run for cover.”
According to WTAE, as Germany fled and crouched behind a podium, the church’s cameraman pursued the gunman and wrestled him to the ground. The pastor promptly stepped from behind the lectern and assisted in apprehending the culprit.
Polite is charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person, according to court records.
He was arraigned early on Monday morning and denied bail. He is being held at Allegheny County Jail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 13.
It was not immediately known whether Polite had an attorney.
Following the attempted shooting at the church, officers discovered the body of a guy who had been shot in Polite’s home, Allegheny County police said to CNN. Derek Polite, 56, was identified as the homicide victim, a relative of the perpetrator in the church shooting.
Police spokesman Jim Madalinsky emailed CNN stating that Bernard Polite, a suspect from a past incident Sunday morning at a North Braddock church, is the cousin of the shooting victim and confirmed to live at the apartment where the shooting happened.
“At this point, no charges have been filed in connection with the homicide and it remains an active investigation.”