One Woman Hospitalized Following a Church Shooting in New York

One woman ended up hospitalized following a shooting in Rochester, New York City. While the suspect remains at large, investigators released shocking details about the incident.

The Iglesia Ebenezer Church in Rochester, New York, witnessed a devastating event on Tuesday evening. At about 8 pm on the said day, gunfire erupted within the premises, sending worshippers scampering for safety.

At least one person suffered injuries as a result. The victim, a 47-year-old woman resident in Rochester, was worshiping inside the church when the shooting spree commenced.

When officers arrived, they found her inside, with at least one gunshot wound on her upper body ruled as non-life-threatening. An ambulance transported the woman to the Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Jack Watson of News 8 WROC reported that the church's building was also struck by gunfire. Officers believe the attacker fired the shots from outside the building, as revealed by the ongoing investigations.

Rochester police do not believe the public was in any more danger associated with the incident. They urged anyone with information regarding the shooting or the suspect to contact them at 911.

In a later tweet, Watson disclosed that authorities were yet to access the damages done to the building and estimate the cost. A motive for the shooting is yet to be established.

He intended the shooting as a means of bringing back segregation.

Lt. Michael Ciulla of the Rochester Police Department confirmed they were in the early stages of the investigation and could not determine the intended target. Reporting crews at the scene spotted several shell casings scattered outside the church.

The attack on the Rochester church is reminiscent of another church shooting that took place in 2015, resulting in nine fatalities.

The suspect, Dylan Roof, stormed the Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston and opened fire on the church members during a bible study session. All the victims were Black.

Following his arrest, Roof told the FBI that he intended the shooting as a means of bringing back segregation or orchestrating a race war. The incident had the reverse impact, as many states decided to take down confederate flags and monuments from statehouses.

While most family members of the fatal victims offered Roof forgiveness during his court appearance days later, the gunman showed no sign of repentance. Appearing before a juror in 2017, Roof, 22 at the time, remained firm on his belief, insisting he felt his actions were necessary.

He failed to plead for his life after several chances. He was eventually sentenced to death by lethal injection, making him the first person in history to face execution for a federal hate crime.