A 25-year-old man named Emanuel Kidega Samson drove to the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville and opened fire. A woman walking to her car in the parking lot was shot and killed. The gunman, wearing a mask, then went inside and began shooting, injuring six more people. The shooting probably would have continued if not for one very brave usher who confronted the gunman. From News Channel 5:

According to police, the gunman then entered the church through the main sanctuary door and fired multiple rounds.

Six innocent people were shot. Police said an usher inside confronted the shooter, who was then pistol whipped by the gunman.

Police said during a scuffle, the gunman accidentally shot himself in the leg. That’s when the usher ran and got his gun and held the gunman at gunpoint.

The shooter and the other victims were taken to area hospitals. The shooter is expected to survive. A reporter for News Channel 5 has a bit more detail:

Guman is 26-year-old African American man. That is all @MNPDNashville is releasing right now. Plan to identify him fully soon

— Rebecca Schleicher (@NC5_RSchleicher) September 24, 2017

Police calling church usher an "extraordinarily brave individual," was bleeding from the head after confronting the gunman but up/walking

— Rebecca Schleicher (@NC5_RSchleicher) September 24, 2017

An early report suggested the shooter had been wearing a “clown mask” but police later stated the mask was a neoprene half-mask of the type a skier might wear. So far no photos of the mask have been published.

Asked about his motive, police suggested they had an idea what it might be but were not ready to make a statement about it yet. Police had earlier said they were not aware of any connection between the gunman and the congregation. The Mayor of Nashville has issued a statement calling this a “terrible tragedy.”

The shooting today at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ is a terrible tragedy for our city. Full statement: https://t.co/vk6DOxuMPc pic.twitter.com/x3UsUPDmA9

— Megan Barry (@MeganCBarry) September 24, 2017

A list of the injured and their conditions has just been released:

Victims names in this morning's #ChurchShooting @NC5 pic.twitter.com/8FYsnKemSm

— Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) September 24, 2017

Here’s the most recent update from police via CNN. If you skip to the end of this clip there’s also a statement from an eyewitness who walked over to the church before police had arrived:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pqp5i0WFUk

I’ll update this post as more information becomes available.

Update: The gunman…

Gunman in church shooting is Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25. He has been released from hospital and will be charged with murder and att murder. pic.twitter.com/VuCUgJ3JIQ

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 24, 2017

Update: Shooter had attended the church in the past. He is a legal immigrant from Sudan. A civil rights investigation has been opened. Does that mean this is being looked at as a possible hate crime?  Church members, in this case, are predominately white according to Fox News. As mentioned above there was an indication from the police spokesman that they had some lead on a motive but they aren’t revealing it yet.

#breaking The shooter attended the church 2 years ago. They had not seen him since. A civil rights case is being opened by the justice dept.

— Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) September 24, 2017

Press conference: Samson entered the church with 2 guns. He will be charged with Melanie Smith's murder tonight @NC5

— Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) September 24, 2017

Emanuel K. Samson came from Sudan in 1996. He was a legal US resident but not necessarily a US citizen, according to @MNPDNashville pic.twitter.com/ZCM8jelThF

— Dan Kennedy 13News Now (@13DanKennedy) September 24, 2017

The US Attorneys Office released a statement about the now opened civil rights investigation into church shooting. @NC5 pic.twitter.com/PMTqMMmfzW

— Matthew Torres (@News_MTorres) September 24, 2017

Update: The shooter posted some cryptic messages on Facebook just before the shooting. From the Tennessean:

Samson, who according to his Facebook page is originally from the Sudan, wrote just before 11 a.m., “Everything you’ve ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real. & vice versa, B.”

Two photos posted this morning shows Samson flexing his muscles accompanied with the words “unrestricted paroxysm.” Paroxysm means a sudden attack or violent expression of emotion…

He also wrote, “You are more than what they told us.”

On his way to jail:

BREAKING: Alleged church shooter Emanuel Kidega Samson is being transported to jail. pic.twitter.com/Hdhzt5dkh4

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 24, 2017

Update: Statement from the man who confronted the shooter, held him at gunpoint:

BREAKING:
Skyline releases statement from Caleb Engle, man who confronted gunman in Antioch shooting. pic.twitter.com/g821OOTmSR

— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) September 24, 2017