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Prayer leader slairi at Creflo Dollar's Ga. church h@ : //www.usatoday. com/story/news/nati onl 20 12 / l0 I 24lgurman-wo...

Prayer leadei slain at Greflo Dollar's Ga. churchLarry Copeland, USA TODAY 7:50 p.m. EDT October 24, 2012

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - Authorities have arrested a former maintenance man at Greflo Dollar's nrega-churchwho allegedly strolled in during a Wednesday rnoming prayer service and fatally shot the worship leader beforecalmly walking out.

9".S-, {q?-rg"tlq!g arrested S2-year-old Floyd Palnrer at a Macy's store in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon,WXIA-TV reoorts (http://www.11 alive.corn/news/article/261738/40/Church-shootinq-susoect-anested-at-Macvs-

at-Lenox-Souare)-

(Photo: WXIA)

Police searched his Atlanta horne, says the station, owned by Gannett, USA TODAY'S parent.

Palmer has a criminal record in Maryland. He pleaded guilty to assault and carrying a handgun in January 2004 in Baltimore. lt's not yet clear why he wasarrested by federal rnarshals.

The '10 a.m. shooting rocked the 30,000-member congregation of Wgdq qhSfr.S.elg qhqlqh Ld_e_r_!e!!onal whose charismatic pastol Creflo Dollar, is one ofthe USAs most renown rnega church pastors. Dollar was not at the church at the tinre, police said.

Police said Palrner calmly walked into the worship service and fired multiple tirnes at the 39-year-old worship leader, a church volunteer, but did not strikeany of the other 20-25 people.

Fulton County officials confirrned that the victim was Greg McDowell, WXIA-TV reported earlier. lnvestigators said McDowell was on stage and leading aprayer when he was shot at point-blank range.

'The suspect walked into the church in a calm fashion," said Cpl. Kay Lester, a Fulton County police spokeswoman. "He walked in, opened fire, and leftas calmly as he came."

WxlA reported the suspect was wearing a suit and tie at the tirne of the shooting. The Attanta Joumal-Constitufion- quoted a witness, Kg-rgn W"gIh, assaying the victim was shot six tirnes.

Lester said police were still investigating whether the shooter went to the church specifically to attack the worship leader.

'We do not know if the victim was targeted," she said.

Palmer had worked as a facilities maintenance employee at the church until around August.

Linda Pritchett, 43, and a 10-year-member of World Changers, said the church has both uniformed and plainclothes security workers on duty at all 1nres.She said she carne to the church Wednesday morning after someone called her after hearing about the shooting.

'They called rne because they know I'm always up here," she said. 'That person hacl to be extremely disturbed or have a serious problem in their life.They had to be extrenely desperate."

Dollar' 50, is founder and senior pastor of World Changers, which has satellite churches in cities around the nation. Dollar was the subject of a nediaflurry in June after he was anested for "spanking" his 1 s-year-old daughter. He denied any impropriety and said he "should never have been anested.,,

church inembers were struggling to understand what happened in their place of sanctuary.

"lt's very upsetting when your own rnember would corne and do such a thing," said Marcia Lowe, a rnember since 1gg6 who was late to Wednesdaymorning's service only because she stopped at the post office. "Pastor has been preaching that the eneryry will try to destroy us. This will not stop us.,,

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