A former employee of televangelist Creflo Dollar’s Atlanta-area megachurch is suspected of fatally shooting one of the church’s volunteer staff members as the volunteer was leading a prayer service there Wednesday morning, which was being held at World Changes Church International. Police say suspect Floyd Palmer, 52, is in custody. Below is a timeline of events. May we keep them all in prayer.
4:30 The suspect, Floyd Palmer, 52, was arrested at Lenox Mall in Buckhead Wednesday afternoon. Palmer worked at World Changers until August, authorities said.
At 12:39 p.m. The man who died was a volunteer staff member who was leading a prayer service for about 20 people at the church when he was shot, and investigators believe the gunman was a former church member and facilities maintenance employee, police said.
Police said the victim Greg McDowell, 39. A police spokeswoman said she didn’t know whether the victim was targeted specifically, and she didn’t know whether Palmer knew the victim.
Police, citing witnesses, said Palmer entered the church calmly, shot the victim, and calmly left the building.
At 11:37 a.m. A man has died after being shot Wednesday morning at the suburban Atlanta megachurch of televangelist pastor Creflo Dollar, a Fulton County Police Department spokeswoman says.
The shooter is on the loose, Fulton County police Cpl. Kay Lester added. The victim’s identity hasn’t been released.
At 11:04 a.m. At least one person was shot Wednesday morning at the suburban Atlanta megachurch of pastor Creflo Dollar, and police are looking for the gunman, authorities say.
The shooting happened at a chapel in the World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia. CPR was being performed on the victim, whose identity wasn’t immediately released.
The church does have a morning service, but Fulton County police Cpl. Kay Lester said she didn’t know if the service was in progress at the time of the shooting.
The church claims about 30,000 members. Dollar is a high-profile preacher of the Prosperity Gospel, whose message in part is that God promised generosity in this life and that believers can claim it. Critics call him “Cash-Flow Dollar” and say his message perverts the Gospel.
