[StBernard] Suspect in 5 Louisiana church killings arrested

[Westley Annis]

Suspect in 5 Louisiana church killings arrested 
4 die after shooting at Baton Rouge church; wife later found shot to death 

The Associated Press
Updated: 5:03 p.m. CT May 21, 2006


BATON ROUGE, La. - A man opened fire Sunday morning at a church, fatally
wounding four people before abducting his wife, whom he later shot to death
at another location, authorities said. 

The suspect, Anthony Bell, 25, of Baton Rouge, was captured at an apartment
complex near the church. Three children abducted with the woman were all
found safe. 

"This is going to be one of the worst days in the history of our city,"
Police Chief Jeff Leduff said after Bell was captured and his wife's body
was found at the apartment complex. 

Police did not identify the dead, but church member Kenneth Green who
watched and wept from a nearby building as investigators examined evidence
at the church, said he was related to all of the victims. 

He said his mother, Deloris McGrew, his cousin Darleen Mills, and his aunt
and uncle Gloria and Leonard Howard were killed. He said he also is a cousin
of Bell's slain wife, whom he identified as Erica Bell. 

He said Erica Bell's mother, church pastor Claudia Brown, was wounded. Her
condition was not available. 

Green said he was not in the church at the time of the shooting. 

The wife's body was found at the apartment complex, but it was unclear
whether she was killed there. Authorities said neither Bell nor his wife
lived at the complex. 

'Waste of human life'
Investigators did not know the motive for the shooting at The Ministry of
Jesus Christ church. 

"This is senseless. This is a total waste of human life," Leduff said. 

The small church shares space in an old warehouse with a guitar shop in a
nonresidential area of Baton Rouge. Bell is believed to have entered and
opened fire shortly before services were to end around 10 a.m. 

After shooting five people, Bell fled with his wife and with three children,
including an infant, police said. The two older children were found safely
at a residence. 

Hours later, police responding to a 911 call about a shooting cordoned off
the apartment complex. Officers found the woman dead and Bell holding the
baby, Leduff said. Bell was arrested without incident. 

At first police said the three children belonged to the couple. They later
said it was unclear whether Bell was the father of all three. 

C 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

C 2006 MSNBC.com

URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12901478/