On Sunday, Sept. 20, there was a shooting at Oasis Tabernacle Church in Selma, Alabama. The shooter, James Junior Minter, opened fire at his girlfriend, his one month old son, and the pastor at the early morning service. The people of the congregation were described by police as ‘heroes’ as they managed to subdue Minter after the first shots.

The girlfriend. who has chosen to remain nameless, was shot in the shoulder and the jaw. The one month old child was shot in the hand. Pastor Carswell was shot in the leg in the attempt to subdue Minter. They are all expected to make a full recovery.

When the first shots were fired, Pastor Carswell was the first to take to action. Many other attendees started to take action and help the pastor subdue Minter. “There were several heroes in there. It takes a lot when you have someone with a firearm that’s actually firing upon a person in a closed-quarters area, and you do whatever you can with regards to your own life to protect someone else’s life,”  said Selma Police Lt. Curtis Muhannad.

Unfortunately, Minter was able to get away but he was eventually caught less than a mile away from the church. He was arrested for three counts of attempted murder. The police have released a statement saying that domestic violence and possible child custody issues were the motive for the shooting.