Pastor deflected gunshot with Bible

A PASTOR shot and killed during his Sunday sermon deflected the first of the gunman’s four rounds with a Bible, sending a confetti-like spray of paper into the air in a horrifying scene that congregants initially thought was a skit, police said.

Terry J Sedlacek, 27, of Troy, was charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and aggravated battery, said Stephanee Smith, spokeswoman for Madison County Prosecutors.

The gunman strode down the aisle of the First Baptist Church shortly after 8am and briefly spoke with The Rev Fred Winters, then pulled out a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and began firing until it jammed, Illinois state police director Larry Trent said.