Early Sunday morning there was a shooting during a church service at Oasis Tabernacle Church in East Selma, Texas. The man suspected of the shooting is twenty six year old James Junior Minter.
James Minter is the suspect of shooting 3 people in response to what is to be believed a recent break up with his girlfriend, and visitation issues with his infant son. The three people James Minter shot were identified as James Minters girlfriend, Minters 1 month old baby boy, and Oasis Tabernacle pastor Earl Carswell.
Eye witnesses who were in the church at the time of the shooting said that James Minter came into the church and sat down in the same row as his girlfriend in between her and his son. They then say he pulled out his gun and started shooting. When Minters girlfriend fell to the ground he shot her twice. Once in the jaw, and once in the shoulder. He then shot his one month old in the hand. The pastor then tried to wrestle the gun away from James Minter, but was unsuccessful and ended up getting shot in the leg. Minter then had his gun wrestled away again, but this time members of the congregation managed to get it fully away from him, and he then ran out of the church.
James Minter was captured less than a mile away from the church after he fled. In a police statement it was said that Minters vehicle was left at the scene and the gun was recovered at the church. Since his arrest, Minter is being held at the Dallas County Jail and has been charged with three counts of attempted murder with the possibility of other charges soon to come.
This is not the first time Minter has been arrested, but details were not immediately available. But the authorities are investigating whether Minter violated a protective order or not.
The pastor of the church was taken to an emergency room for treatment, and the girlfriend and baby were taken to a hospital in Birmingham where everyone remains stable.