Two dead in shooting at church service

A man walked into a church during a service and fatally shot his estranged wife and another woman before fleeing, US police said today.

He was arrested after a standoff with an officer.

Fredrick Radford shot his wife first on Friday night and then killed a woman who attempted to take their two-year-old son away from the alleged gunman, police and witnesses said.

‘‘Everybody hit the floor as soon as we heard the gunshots,’’ said Derek Mack, the pianist for the service in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Cpl Mike Wood, a police spokesman, said Radford fled the church with the toddler and surrendered after a 15-minute standoff. He was being questioned early today, Wood said.

Adrianne Radford, 25, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Mary Anne Turner, 47, was pronounced dead at Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville.

Wood said he didn’t know the couple’s history but said there was a domestic violence order in place.

Lola Reeves, a witness in the congregation, said that Radford entered the church during ‘‘altar call’’, a ceremony in which parishioners come to the front of the church for confessionals and forgiveness.

‘‘He walked in and went to talk to her (Adrianne Radford). She tried to get away to make a phone call and to get her baby, and he sat her down in the front bench and shot her,’’ Reeves said.

Turner ‘‘tried to get the child from him, and he shot her too’’, Reeves said.

‘‘Then he pointed the gun at himself and pulled the trigger. It must have jammed because it didn’t go off, so then he waved it around and walked out with the baby.’’

Wood said Fredrick Radford then fled in a car and was confronted by Hopkinsville Police Chief Kenny Over.

‘‘Apparently, Radford knew that the chief was after him, and he held up a gun and the baby, and a standoff ensued,’’ Wood said.

‘‘Chief Over managed to calm him down and talk him into surrendering without further incident.’’