Church service has resumed just over a week after a gunman opened fire during a Saturday morning wedding at New England Pentecostal Ministries.
Services resumed Sunday at New England Pentecostal Church in Pelham, New Hampshire, one week after a gunman opened fire during a wedding ceremony.
Police say Dale Holloway shot 75-year-old Bishop Stanley Choate in the chest and bride Claire McMullen, 60, in the arm on Oct. 12. The groom, Mark Castiglione, 60, was wounded when he was pistol-whipped on the head, according to authorities. Choate remains in the hospital.
New England Pentecostal Church had cancelled services after the shooting. Parishoners saw an increased police presence when they arrived to the first service at 11a.m.
Francia Macias, a long time member of the church, was among those who attended Sunday's service.
“The church shouldn’t be going through this alone so that’s why we are here to show our support,” said Macias.
The church endured more tragedy earlier this month when 24-year-old Brandon Castiglione was charged with second degree murder after 60-year-old Luis Garcia - the church priest -- was found shot to death in his Londonderry home.
According to the Attorney General's Office, Brandon is the son of Mark Castiglione - the groom who was injured in the shooting incident.
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An obituary indicates that Halloway - the suspected church gunman - is the stepson of Garcia, who was supposed to be memorialized at the church after the wedding. The event was canceled, however.
Church member Stafford Daniels said he'll continue to attend services despite the violence that shut down services last week.
“To me the building is just the building but it’s your faith in God that keeps you going,” said Daniels.
"This is a resilient community," said Pelham Police Lieutenant Anne Perriello. "It doesn't matter if it's a negative story or incident or a positive incident, there's always people that come out to makre sure we move forward together."
Halloway is expected to appear in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday.
