What started as a community event celebrating Easter turned fatal at a Mississippi church. According to authorities, a deacon at the Empowerment Ministries Christian Center (EMCC) stepped in to defend a fellow church goer from an armed man, then tragedy struck.
Let’s start from the beginning. Members of EMCC gathered for a family egg hunt on Saturday (April 12). An altercation involving Tyran Deion Gable, 24, and a woman broke out during the festivities, according to WLOX. An initial investigation determined the dispute began over a custody battle.
That’s when Deacon Eddie Shed, 39, stepped in to deescalate the domestic situation, according to WLOX. It’s unclear what exactly escalated the disagreement, but at some point, Gable allegedly pulled a gun and began shooting. Shed and a second parishioner, Jimmy Nance, were both hit several times, according to a GoFundMe page. But while Nance was airlifted to a hospital in Mobile, Ala. to treat his “severe” injuries, Shed was pronounced dead at the scene.
Now, Members of EMCC are calling Shed a “hero” after he was killed while trying to protect the woman. In a GoFundMe page to support his family, YaFrica Edwards wrote the deacon showed “selfless courage and bravery that ultimately saved others from harm. He paid the ultimate price for his valor, and we are deeply saddened by this loss.” Other members of the church shared similar sentiments.
“He died a hero doing what he does best, and that’s protecting and that’s loving and that’s looking out for everyone,” fellow church member Alexis Weathersby told WLOX. “He was just a wonderful man that was willing to do any and everything for anyone.”
Another EMCC member, Taylor Sanders, said Shed “was that guy you could always have a laugh with and always count on to be at the church.” She continued saying, “When the doors opened and when the doors shut, he was just that guy, and we’re just distraught at this moment.”
The alleged suspect, Gable, was also injured during the confrontation, according to the Sun Herald. He was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. A judge denied Gable bond for the murder charge but awarded a $250,000 bond for the aggravated assault charge.