1 dead, 7 injured in Tennessee church shooting

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) --    Authorities in Tennessee say one person is dead and seven people sustained injuries after a gunman opened fire at a church in Nashville.

A masked gunman invaded a Tennessee church Sunday and opened fire, walking silently down the aisle as he shot unsuspecting congregants. At least one person was killed and seven others wounded, authorities said.

An usher confronted the shooter, who apparently shot himself accidentally in the struggle, authorities said.

No motive for the shooting was immediately determined. Investigators said they were not aware of any relationship between the gunman and any of the worshippers, said Don Aaron, spokesman for the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The gunman pulled into the parking lot as services were ending at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in the Antioch neighborhood. He fatally shot a woman who was walking to her vehicle, then entered the rear of the church and kept firing, shooting six people, police said.

It was unclear whether the self-inflicted wound was intentional, said Aaron said.

The gunman was identified as Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, of Murfreesboro. Hours after the attack, he was under police guard at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Authorities were processing warrants to charge him, Aaron said.

Witness Minerva Rosa said the usher, identified by police as 22-year-old Robert Engle, was "a hero."