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Police: 27-year-old responsible for pastor's death

Associated Press - March 8, 2009 7:24 PM ET

MARYVILLE, Ill. (AP) - The Rev. Mark Jones of First Baptist Church in suburban St. Louis says he has "no idea" what a 27-year-old man's motives were when he pulled a semi-automatic weapon and shot the church's senior pastor during serices this morning.

Jones says he doesn't know who the man is. The Illinois State Police haven't released the man's name, pending charges.

The gunman killed Fred Winters, a 45-year-old father of 2 who had helped build First Baptist over 20 years from a small congregation to one with 1,200 members - the largest in the village of Maryville.

The church's Web site says Winters also was former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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