Police are seeking a pair of suspects in a Sunday church service shooting in Richmond, California, that left two teenagers injured, though authorities are still looking for a motive in what they say was a targeted operation.
Police believe they have identified at least two of the three hooded men who entered New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Amid a congregation of about 100, one of them opened fire.
“We’re hoping we can make an arrest sometime in the near future,” Richmond police spokeswoman Sgt. Bisa French told CNN.
Police are withholding the suspects’ names. French said they’re in their late teens or early 20s and live in Richmond, about 12 miles north of Oakland.
Church officials say the two congregants injured on Sunday, age 14 and 19, are brothers. “We’re not sure if those two victims were targeted, but someone definitely in that general area where the victims were was targeted,” French said.
The victims are expected to make full recoveries, police said.
Officials at the church said they are determined to continue operating as normal. Hours after the shooting, a Sunday Bible study was held as planned, with about 15 people attending.
“I’m sure there’s some fear and shock, but we’re not running,” said Ezekiel Wallace, the church deacon. “We are going to be doing what we always do: Pray and have church.”
“We’re not scared, but we’re sort of mystified because this is God’s church,” said Earl Young, a church member since 1967. “We refuse to let the devil make us run and hide because that’s probably what they want us to do.”
