Chilling details on Vestavia Hills church ‘shooter’ Robert Smith as it’s revealed he went to services before ‘killing 3’
In connection with the killings of three individuals at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, Robert Smith has been charged with capital murder.
At this time, Robert Findlay Smith, who is 70 years old, is detained by law enforcement and is being held at the Jefferson County Jail without bond.
After the deaths of Walter Rainey, Sarah Yeager, and Jane Pounds on Friday afternoon, District Attorney Danny Carr issued the capital murder warrants against the suspects in all three cases.
According to officials from the Vestavia Hills Police Department, all three were shot inside the church.
While the other two victims were sent to the hospital, it was determined that 84-year-old Rainey had passed away at the scene.
Yeager, who was 75 years old, passed away not long after arriving at the hospital to receive treatment.
Jane Pounds, who was 84 years old and the third person to be shot, passed away on Friday, according to law enforcement.
According to the allegations, Smith had entered the church when a potluck dinner was taking place and began discharging his revolver.
“The suspect has previously attended services at this church,” stated Captain Shane Ware of the Vestavia Hills Police Department. “However, as far as the purpose behind this, it is still being looked into by numerous agencies.”
According to the authorities, in the past he had attended religious services on a sporadic basis; however, no motive has been established as of yet.
According to Reverend Doug Carpenter, who established the church, another member of the congregation was able to bring the shooter under control by striking him with a chair and wresting the weapon away from him.
According to Ware, “it was tremendously crucial in the process of preserving lives.”
He continued by saying of the congregational member, “In my perspective, he’s a hero.”
According to court documents that were obtained by AL.com, Smith was accused of several DUIs but did not have a criminal history that involved violent offenses.
In 2005, he entered a guilty plea to driving under the influence of alcohol and was given a fine of $465. Additionally, he was charged with possessing a pistol while under the influence of alcohol; however, this charge was ultimately dismissed.
According to the available evidence, Smith operates as a licensed guns dealer right out of his own home.
Original Magazines 2 is the name of his company.
It has been stated by AL.com that police were aware of Smith’s identity and were familiar with his residence and vehicle.
