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1 Killed In Church Shooting Outside Nashville; Alleged Shooter Arrested

Nashville Police say they started receiving calls about the church shooting at around 11:15 a.m.
Raymond Boyd Getty Images
Nashville Police say they started receiving calls about the church shooting at around 11:15 a.m.

Updated at 9:25 p.m. ET

One person was killed and seven were wounded, including a suspect, when a gunman opened fire at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tenn., on Sunday morning, according to police.

By the afternoon, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the woman churchgoer who was fatally shot as Melanie Smith, 39, from the Rutherford County town of Smyrna.

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The MNPD says the alleged shooter is 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson. "He has been released from hospital and will be charged with murder and att murder," the department tweeted.

Police say they started receiving calls about the shooting around 11:15 a.m. Nashville Police Public Affairs Manager Don Aaron says six of the injured, three males and three females, are being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. That includes the suspect, whose identity has not been released. Two other victims were taken to Skyline Medical Center.

The Nashville Fire Department tweeted that all but one of the victims were over 60 years old.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry released a statement expressing her condolences to the victims and their families.

The Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, which has a weekly service at 10 a.m., is located about 10 miles southeast of downtown Nashville.

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This is a developing story. Some things that get reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

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