The Christian thing to do…
A pastor who was nearly killed during his sermon told Fox News that he immediately forgave the gunman after the incident.
Video out from Jesus' Dwelling Place Church in Pennsylvania showed a man entering the church during a service and pointing a pistol directly at a pastor named Glenn Germany. The pastor immediately dove for cover as the gunman continued moving forward. Someone ran from the audience and then tackled the gunman, and the pastor quickly joined to disarm the man. (RELATED: Report: A-List Celebrity's Father Attacked Outside NYC Church)
“He could have lost his life in that struggle,” Germany said of the man who jumped in. “But he sacrificed himself for everyone, and he's the hero.”
Germany told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that he had never seen the gunman before Sunday. During the service, he noted the assailant frequently coming in and out of the church, even giving the pastor eye contact. That's when the unexpected happened.
Pastor Germany said he heard a click from the gun, signifying a jam or that the safety was on. A police officer showed him after the fact that the gun was, in fact, loaded.
“The officer who actually dislodged the chamber showed us the bullet and showed us the markings and said, ‘this bullet had your name on it,'” Germany told Steve Doocy on Fox & Friends. (RELATED: MTG Returns To Fox News Days After Accusing Network Of Wanting To ‘Murder' Tucker Carlson)
The suspect was identified as 26-year-old Bernard Polite. He has been charged with aggravated assault and attempted homicide. Bernard confessed to police that he tried to shoot Germany because, “God told him to do it,” and that he wanted to go to jail to clear his mind.
The pastor said he's “grateful to God” and revealed he spoke to his would-be shooter and forgave him twice.
“I forgave him because some of the congregation members were upset, but I had to ask them to move away and let me talk with him one-on-one, and I let him know that I forgave him,” he said.
The gunman spoke about hearing voices driving him to kill the pastor, according to Germany.
“I forgive you, I love you, my name is Glenn Germany, and I want you to remember my name and if there's any way I can help, I would like to help,” he recalled telling the man.
Following the church incident, police found a dead body in Polite's home. The man, found to be a relative of Polite, had been shot to death.
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