A pastor allegedly shot his wife and then himself at a hotel in McComb, Mississippi on Wednesday, police said. Pastor Danny Prenell Jr, 25, is accused of shooting his wife, Gabrielle Prenell, 27, in front of their children at Hampton Inn & Suites McComb hotel before shooting himself, McComb Police Chief Juan Cloy said.
Prenell and his wife were taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and their conditions are unknown, according to WLBT News.
Prenell, who is the pastor of Bright Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Pineville, had two days before the shooting posted on a Facebook page a photo of him and his wife along with their three young children at the hotel where the shooting occurred.
“I may not be a perfect man, but I’ll always be a family man,” he wrote. And the week before the shooting, he posted on his wife’s birthday describing her as “my queen” and “the woman that I love and owe my life to”.
It remains unknown the motive of the shooting on Wednesday but according to WAPT, Prenell faces an aggravated assault charge. He and his wife’s children are under the custody of Child Protective Services. Prenell was a former deputy with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, per Facebook.
Three years ago, a similar shooting occurred in Alabama at the True Cornerstone Church in Mobile. The woman, Prophetess Alisha Woodard, had just finished preaching during a program at the church when her husband, who is also a well-known pastor, showed up at the premises that he would like to speak with her. As they were talking at the church premises, they had a heated argument and the man, Ulysses Woodard, shot her.
People are worried about the number of domestic shootings being witnessed in the U.S. According to data cited by The Daily Mail, the shootings have happened nearly every 3.5 weeks for the last two decades on average. There were 17 of them in 2022, the outlet stated.
