Pastor killed after discovering man in church

WINONA — A pastor was killed and two other people were injured in a shooting at an East Texas church Sunday, after the pastor pulled a gun on a suspect who had been hiding out in the church.

Police had been searching for the man late Saturday in woods near Winona following a car chase. The pastor of the Starrville Methodist Church discovered the suspect hiding in a church bathroom around 9:20 a.m., Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said.

The pastor drew a gun on the suspect, Smith said, but the man grabbed the weapon and began shooting with it. The pastor was killed, a second person was injured by gunfire and another was hurt in a fall.

The man stole the pastor's vehicle and fled east before being arrested by deputies in nearby Harrison County, Smith said. He was hospitalized Sunday afternoon with gunshot wounds to his hand, but it's unclear when he was shot.

Smith declined to identify the pastor, the other people injured or the suspect. The sheriff said the shooting suspect will likely face a capital murder charge. He didn't say why police had initially been looking for the man.