Pastor Shot During Service Had Rape Complaint Filed Against Him Days Before Shooting, Authorities Say
Woodrow Karey Jr. is charged with fatally shooting Pastor Ronald Harris Sr. during service at the Tabernacle of Praise Worship Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Authorities revealed that two days before the fatal shooting, Karey's wife filed a rape complaint against Harris, which may be the reason for the shooting.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso told reporters that Harris and Karey's wife had exchanged "inappropriate" text messages before she filed the rape report but did not release the report, given that the investigation is on-going. There were rumors of a sexual relationship between the two, but police have yet to determine whether it was consensual.
"We're trying to put all the pieces together," Mancuso told the Epoch Times. "I'm sure we're going to get responses from both sides, saying that they're both great people and it's my understanding that Pastor Harris and Mr. Karey were great friends at some point. So this makes it very difficult for us to get to the bottom of this if in fact people don't come forth and tell us the truth. We're in that process; it's going to take a long time, but that's where we are in this investigation."
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Meanwhile, Talisha Harris, Pastor Ronald's daughter, provided more information about what happened the night of the shooting. She said the whole ordeal began when a woman handing out visitor packets ran into the sanctuary yelling, "He got a gun! He got a gun! He got a gun!"
"He came in down the middle aisle," Talisha said. "He shot at my daddy. My daddy ran. He shot him in the back. When he fell, he came closer and shot him again," then Karey ran out a side door. He called police and turned himself in just minutes later.
"He people in our church, he'd treat them as if they were family," Talisha added. Asked if her father would have a message for his murderer, she said only this: "He'd say, 'Come to church. And let God visit your mind.'"
