4 stabbed at Texas church service with suspect in custody

A church service inside a Texas home turned bloody on Wednesday when one of the parishioners suddenly lunged at a pastor and began stabbing him and others while singing in prayer.

Police say four people have been stabbed during the in-house church service in Corpus Christi.

A man said to be in his thirties who has been a member of the church for a while is in police custody.

The incident occurred about 7pm Wednesday. 

Corpus Christi police were called to the home and found the pastor who had been holding the nondenominational service stabbed in the chest, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported.

Lt. Jay Clement told the newspaper that both the pastor and a band member who was also wounded were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

The pastor reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and is in critical condition. 

The newspaper reports that the band member was stabbed in the neck.

Clement said two more people received punctures – one to the hand and another in the arm. 

He said they were injured trying to get the suspect away from the pastor.

He said it’s not clear what led to the stabbing and that the suspect faces aggravated assault charges.

Police said that there were children inside the home among the approximately 12 people who attended the service, KZTV reported.