Vestavia Hills church shooting | |
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Location | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 3775 Crosshaven Drive Vestavia Hills, Alabama, U.S. |
Coordinates | 33°28′8.0″N 86°43′50.5″W / 33.468889°N 86.730694°W |
Date | June 16, 2022 6:22 p.m. – c. 6:30 p.m. ( UTC−06:00) |
Attack type | Shooting, homicide, triple- murder |
Weapons | Handgun [1] |
Deaths | 3 |
Perpetrator | Robert Findlay Smith [2] |
Verdict | Pleaded Guilty: Sentenced to life imprisonment without parole |
Convictions | Capital Murder x3 |
The Vestavia Hills church shooting occurred on June 16, 2022 at 6:22 p.m. local time in Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. A man entered the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and opened fire during a potluck meeting, which the church had previously advertised. Two people were killed at the scene, a third died later in hospital, and the suspect is subsequently in custody. [3] [4] [5] The suspect was a 70 year old Birmingham man named Robert Findlay Smith (born December 23, 1951), [6] [2] a gun dealer. [7] [8] On May 2, 2023, Smith pled guilty in the shooting and was sentenced to life without parole. [9] [10] [11]
Following the shooting, Alabama governor Kay Ivey issued a statement saying that the shooting is "shocking and tragic," adding that "this should never happen — in a church, in a store, in the city or anywhere." [13]
During a Sunday morning service on June 19, 2022, the church gathered to honor the members who were shot and killed during the shooting. [14]
Vestavia Hills church shooting | |
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| |
Location | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 3775 Crosshaven Drive Vestavia Hills, Alabama, U.S. |
Coordinates | 33°28′8.0″N 86°43′50.5″W / 33.468889°N 86.730694°W |
Date | June 16, 2022 6:22 p.m. – c. 6:30 p.m. ( UTC−06:00) |
Attack type | Shooting, homicide, triple- murder |
Weapons | Handgun [1] |
Deaths | 3 |
Perpetrator | Robert Findlay Smith [2] |
Verdict | Pleaded Guilty: Sentenced to life imprisonment without parole |
Convictions | Capital Murder x3 |
The Vestavia Hills church shooting occurred on June 16, 2022 at 6:22 p.m. local time in Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. A man entered the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and opened fire during a potluck meeting, which the church had previously advertised. Two people were killed at the scene, a third died later in hospital, and the suspect is subsequently in custody. [3] [4] [5] The suspect was a 70 year old Birmingham man named Robert Findlay Smith (born December 23, 1951), [6] [2] a gun dealer. [7] [8] On May 2, 2023, Smith pled guilty in the shooting and was sentenced to life without parole. [9] [10] [11]
Following the shooting, Alabama governor Kay Ivey issued a statement saying that the shooting is "shocking and tragic," adding that "this should never happen — in a church, in a store, in the city or anywhere." [13]
During a Sunday morning service on June 19, 2022, the church gathered to honor the members who were shot and killed during the shooting. [14]