3rd victim dies after US church shooting in Alabama

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A third victim has died following a shooting at a church in the US state of Alabama, law enforcement announced on Friday.

The Vestavia Hills Police Department identified the latest fatality as an 84 year-old white woman who was transported to a local hospital on Thursday evening in the aftermath of the shooting. The family requested her name not be released.

"Our thoughts and prayers continuously go out to the victims, their families and all who are affected by this tragic event," the department said on Facebook.

The suspect who opened fire inside the church on Thursday evening has been taken into custody. The gunman has only been publicly identified as a 71-year-old white male.

Police Chief Danny Rary said the gunman produced a concealed handgun during a pot luck dinner and shot the three victims, two of whom were aged 84 while one other was 75.

One of the dinner's attendees subdued the suspect and held him down until police arrived on the scene, according to authorities. The suspect is expected to face murder charges later Friday.

No motive has been established.

The shooting comes amid an uproar across the US after a series of mass shootings that left scores of people dead, including 19 children at a Texas elementary school and 10 Black victims who were targeted at a New York grocery store.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly urged Congress to implement stricter gun laws to reduce gun violence.