Bernard Junior Polite, a 26-year-old man from Pennsylvania, was arrested after attempting to shoot a pastor during a livestreamed sermon at Jesus Dwelling Place Church. The pastor, Glenn Germany, managed to disarm Polite after the gun failed to discharge, with the help of a congregation member. Polite was charged with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person, and was denied bail. In a surprising turn of events, hours after the incident at the church, a relative of Polite’s, Derek Polite, was found dead in their shared home, with Bernard Polite being a suspect in the homicide. The motive behind the attempted shooting and the subsequent murder remains unclear.
The terrifying ordeal at the church was captured on the livestreamed sermon, showing Polite approaching the pastor with a gun, only for the firearm to malfunction, giving the pastor and congregation members a chance to disarm him. Germany spoke with Polite after the incident, in which Polite mentioned spirits telling him to enter the church and shoot the pastor. Despite the traumatic experience, there was forgiveness and understanding from the pastor and congregation towards Polite, who had a history of mental illness. The pastor believed that a higher power had protected him from harm during the attempted shooting.
Following the attempted shooting, police discovered the body of Derek Polite, who had been shot, at the residence where Bernard Polite lived. No charges have been filed in connection with the homicide yet, as the investigation is ongoing. The Polite family expressed shock and disbelief at the events, noting that Bernard had a history of mental illness but had not displayed any alarming behavior since living in Pittsburgh. The family, who found Derek’s body after seeing the church shooting video on social media, were left speechless by the tragic events.
Neighbors of the Polite family described both Bernard and Derek as quiet and nice individuals, with no prior indications of violence. Following the incident, Bernard Polite was arraigned and denied bail, awaiting his preliminary hearing in court. The motive behind the attempted church shooting and subsequent murder remains a mystery, with authorities continuing to investigate the connection between the two incidents. The community and family members affected by the events are still reeling from the shock of the violence that took place in their neighborhood.
