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Indian-origin Catholic priest shot dead in US' Kansas, suspect arrested: ‘Senseless act of violence’
According to the website of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Arul Carasala was ordained as priest in 1994 in India.
An Indian-origin Catholic priest was shot dead by a man in the United States’s Kansas state on Thursday. The man who killed the priest approached him at his parish rectory, the Associated Press reported, citing church officials. The incident happened in Kansas’ Seneca town.
Sharing the news, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City said in a Facebook post, “I am heartbroken to share the tragic news of the death of Fr. Arul Carasala, who was fatally shot earlier today. This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend.”
According to the website of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Arul Carasala was ordained a priest in 1994 in India and became pastor of the church on July 11, 2011. He had been serving in Kansas as a priest since 2004 after an archbishop invited him to visit and possibly serve in the Archdiocese. The AP report said he got his American citizenship in 2011.
An old man walked up to Carasala and shot him three times, Kris Anderson, the parish's director of religious education, told AP, however, she did not know the identity of the shooter and the reason behind the killing.
Suspect arrested
According to a report by Kansas’ local news outlet KNBC News, a suspect identified as Gary L. Hermesch, 66, has been arrested by the police. The suspect hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma and has been jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder, the report added citing Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Arul Carasala hailed from Andhra Pradesh’ Kadapah, according to Archbishop Joseph Naumann’s Facebook post. He also said that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
“Fr. Carasala was a devoted and zealous pastor who faithfully served our Archdiocese for over twenty years, including as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region. His love for Christ and His Church was evident in how he ministered to his people with great generosity and care. His parishioners, friends, and brother priests will deeply miss him,” he wrote in the post.
