2022 St Stephen's Episcopal Church shooting

The 2022 St Stephen's Episcopal Church shooting was a fatal incident that took place on the evening of Thursday, June 16, 2022 at St Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Cahaba Heights area of Vestavia Hills.

On the night of the shooting, the church was hosting a "Boomers Potluck" dinner for approximately 25 people in the Parish Hall. Robert Findlay Smith, a 70-year-old male not known to those present, was observed sitting alone nearby. Member Walter "Bart" Rainey invited him to join a table for the dinner. The man identified himself, as "Mr Smith", and claimed to have formerly been a member of the church, but declined the invitation.

Later he produced a handgun which had been concealed, and began shooting. Three people were struck before Jim Musgrove swung a chair at the gunman and managed to disarm him. Rainey, who had approached the man earlier, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two female victims were transported to UAB Hospital with serious injuries. Both of those, Sarah Yeager, 75 and Jane Pounds, 84, died there from their wounds.

Police were notified of an active shooter at 6:22 PM and arrived in force. The Vestavia Hills Police Department took the suspect into custody without further incident. Among the other agencies responding to the call were the Mountain Brook Police Department, the Hoover Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Rocky Ridge Fire District.

A special prayer service was held the next day at St Luke's Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook. Smith was charged with three counts of capital murder and booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Friday afternoon, and is expected to be held without bond.

Perpetrator

Smith, a gunsmith and licensed gun dealer, operated his business from his home at 4128 Sicard Hollow Road, near Swann Lake Stables and the Little Cahaba River. His home was searched as part of the investigation of the shooting.

Previously, in 2007, Smith was detained on the campus of Samford University and accused of illegally carrying a firearm and impersonating a law enforcement officer. He sued the security guard, claiming the charges had been fabricated, and won a $29,000 judgment. He had also been arrested twice for driving under the influence, once in 2005 and once in 2016.

In 2018 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives had sent Smith a letter of warning following an on-site investigation the previous September during which he could not provide records for the disposition of 11 firearms which were on record as having been in his possession. The inspection was scheduled with reference to previous citations in 2009 and 2011.

Context

The incident at St Stephen's Episcopal Church took place during a period of renewed public debate over gun control and public safety following a mass shootings at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York and at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas during the previous month. Members of the U.S. Senate were debating a framework for incremental changes to federal gun control and mental health legislation intended to reduce such incidents of deadly violence.

References

• Robinson, Carol & Howard Koplowitz (June 16, 2022) "Vestavia Hills church shooting: 2 dead, 1 injured at St. Stephen’s Episcopal, shooter in custody." The Birmingham News
• Smith, Ruth Serven (June 16, 2022) "Crowd mourns victims of Vestavia Hills church shooting: ‘I’m overwhelmed. And saddened.’." The Birmingham News
• Robinson, Carol (June 17, 2022) "Vestavia Hills church shooting: Victims identified, church member subdued gunman." The Birmingham News
• Garrison, Greg (June 17, 2022) "St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church founder left with heartbreak, questions after deadly shooting." The Birmingham News
• Hrynkiw, Ivana (June 17, 2022) "St. Stephen’s church shooting: Bart Rainey, 84, was ‘the nicest gentleman anyone could have met’." The Birmingham News
• Garrison, Greg (June 17, 2022) "Hundreds gather to pray after St. Stephen’s church shooting: ‘Jesus is weeping with us’." The Birmingham News
• Patel, Vimal; Eduardo Medina & Johnny Diaz (June 17, 2022) "Shooting at Alabama Church Potluck Leaves Three Dead." The New York Times
• Robinson, Carol (June 17, 2022) "70-year-old man charged in Vestavia Hills church shooting that killed 3." The Birmingham News
• Roop, Lee & Carol Robinson (June 18, 2022) "Church shooting suspect was licensed gun dealer warned by federal agents about missing guns." The Birmingham News

External links

• 6-16-2022 ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM (VESTAVIA HILLS) 3-0 at gunviolencearchive.org
• Robert Findlay Smith record of ATF gun dealer inspections via The Trace