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Volunteer killed at Creflo Dollar's Georgia megachurch, police say
Editor's note: 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, police say. The suspect, Floyd Palmer, 52, was arrested hours later at an Atlanta mall, the U.S. Marshals Service told CNN. Below are developments as they come in; for more on the shooting and Dollar's church, check out this story, and CNN affiliates WXIA, WSB and WGCL.
[Updated at 4:27 p.m. ET] The suspect in the shooting, Floyd Palmer, 52, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Atlanta's Lenox Square mall, the U.S. Marshals Service says.
Earlier, police said Palmer was an former employee of World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia, where the shooting happened Wednesday morning during a prayer service.
[Updated at 12:39 p.m. ET] 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.
The suspect, Floyd Palmer, 52, is on the loose, according to police. The shooting happened at World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia, where Palmer worked until August, authorities said.
Police said the victim was 39, but his name hasn't been released. 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.
[Updated at 11:37 a.m. ET] 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.
[Posted at 11:04 a.m. ET] 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, a police spokeswoman told CNN. CPR was being performed on the victim, whose identity wasn't immediately released, CNN affiliate WXIA reported.
The church does have a morning service, but Fulton County police Cpl. Kay Lester said she didn't know whether 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.
Since he started his ministry in an elementary school cafeteria in 1986, Dollar has received praise and criticism. Supporters say he has preached a message that's financially empowered his parishioners and challenged the idea that Christians should be ashamed to be rich. Critics call him "Cash-Flow Dollar" and say his message perverts the Gospel.
Dollar produces a "Changing Your World" TV program that is shown on various cable and satellite TV networks.
On Twitter
i really dont care wat happens outside of sothern califas!!!thanks alot
Why would you even say that? Just goes to show you how uneducated southern California's population is. Not sure why you're on CNN.com (the world news leader) when you're not interested in anything but your local news. Get a life
i also agree with mr.john no one cares wat happens in atl...i live in southern cali so dont care!!!
So why are you guys posting?
dont trip son!!!
I feel on the outside of an inside joke... 🙁 So much tripping too.
I don't care what happens outside of Southern California
Evidently ya'll do, you clicked on the link to read it...and posted a comment.
God help us all!
no we dont need more gun control .. says Romeny ... no we should hand guns out before you come into church .. why would anyone increase the amount of time to screen someone for buying a gun .. it's our right to be able to carry weapons any place we want .. like bars and movies ... right and right-wing
A gun did not commit this crime. Quit trying to blame inanimate objects.
A gun did!! I am so tired of hearing this bull from gun nuts ... you know what they say live by die by ... you seem like a gun nut "schuffler" go pick a fight with a gun toating hillbilly .. maybe tell him his sister/wife is cheating with you
Gary,
A gun did not commit this crime. A person did. The gun was mearly the tool. We don't have a gun problem in this country. WE HAVE A PEOPLE PROBLEM. Plus College Park and the area surrounding is primarily african-american and the center for the majority of crime in Atlanta.
Ted Kennedy's car killed more people than my AK-74.
@Shuffler, If you don't know that guns can lead people around and cause them to do things that they normally wouldn't think of doing then you just haven't gotten out of your basement often enough. I've seen people become a totally different person when they get a gun in their hands. It happens to often to too many different people to NOT be the gun's influence.
With the easy availability of knives, baseball bats and poison, why do these nuts insist on using guns?
hello because it's easier with a gun .. you must beone of these "guns dont kill people" types ... get this silly boy ... THEY DO!!
They are easy to obtain, poison you have to go to the drugstore, explain what is for, and give you driver’s license, bla bla bla.. A gun just go to the nearest seven eleven and stand outside with a twenty dollar bill and a ski mask, you will have a gun in minutes..
Because to use a knife, bat, etc requires the offender to have to get up close and personal. Most of these pansies are too much of a coward to do that. Using a gun allows them to distance themselves from their targets. Since this guy shot from point blank range my guess is his beef was with the guy who was shot and only him so once he was shot, the gunman's job was done.
You're on CNN, which was founded in ATL, fools.
then why are you on here responding? your about as stupid as the person who went in the church with the gun!!!
at least california isnt full of raggidy people like in the atl
Have you been to Hollywood? Talk about fried.
HOW DARE YOU USE MY PRESIDENT'S NAME ON SUCH A RETARTED STATEMENT!!!! JUST CHILDISH. GROW UP ALREADY.
This wouldn't have happened if their were armed guards with rocket launchers.
Sounds like a GOP rally.
At a primarily black church? Highly unlikely.
The leader of the church has the last name Dollar ? How appropriate, finally one of these mega church pastors with a name that explains why everyone is there and exactly what he wants.
Creflo Dollar? What do you want to bet he drives a car that cost over $100,000?
Yeah, he's a con man and a thief for sure
Soooooooo.....it's ok for the drug dealers to drive $100,000 cars but it's not ok for men of God to do it?
Both the drug dealer and the preacher have purchased their car with ill gotten gains.
God rewards the successful and punishes the losers.
YEP!
We need a gigantic Atheist compound.
I'm with you brotha!
we have one, its called a mall.lol
@emdcommonpac – LMAO
No, just a poll that shows us at 20% would be nice.
Every space outside a church is an Athiest compound, you have enough and soon enough you will have hell for you all also.
There are already several of them. They are called Federal Prisons.
@Lovegod
Hate more, making your group look even better.
Atheists amuse me. I'd show up just for the humor. Militant atheirsts take themselves WAY too seriously.
I guess God wanted that man dead. I mean, it happened in his own house. If he didin't want it to happen, he surely could have prevented it right?
Exactly – Jebus must not have liked that dude for some reason....:)
Satan is the prince of this world and he works through people who allows him to. It was not the will of God for this guy to be killed, he had more work to do for the kingdom of God. This is why we have to stay vigilante and pray that no weapon formed against us shall prosper in Jesus name. For we do not know what tomorrow may bring, but in Jesus we have the victory.