PELHAM, N.H. (WHDH) - The 37-year-old man accused of shooting two people — the bride and a bishop — during a wedding ceremony at a church in Pelham, New Hampshire on Saturday is facing an attempted murder charge, officials said.
Dale Holloway is facing several charges, including attempted murder, after allegedly shooting Bishop Stanley Choate, 75, in the upper chest about 10 a.m. during a wedding at the New England Pentecostal Church, according to police.
The bride, Claire McMullen, was shot in the arm and the groom, Mark Castiglione, 60, was struck in the head with an object, police said.
Choate was taken to the hospital in serious condition. McMullen is in good condition and Castiglione was treated and released, officials said.
Officers responding to a reported shooting at the Bridge Street church found two people suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Pelham Police Chief Joseph Roark.
Holloway was taken into custody after some of the approximately 40 guests at the wedding “gang tackled” him and held him down until police arrived, Roark said. He was charged with alternative counts of purposely and knowingly causing bodily injury by means of a deadly weapon and will be arraigned in Hillsborough Superior Court Tuesday.
Officials are looking into whether the shooting is connected to a funeral for Luis Garcia, who was killed in Londonderry earlier this month — which was scheduled to take place after the wedding.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati said Mark Castiglione is the father of Brandon Castiglione, who was charged with second-degree murder in Garcia’s killing.
Donna and Norman Maciver said they came to the church for that funeral and were terrified to arrive as wedding guests and staff were still inside the church dealing with the shooting’s aftermath.
“We just got here, and this is what we found — we’re all devastated,” Norman Maciver said.
New England Pentecostal Ministries put out a statement on their Facebook page saying services will be cancelled for the week of Oct 12. through Oct. 20.
The criminal investigation has been turned over to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and New Hampshire State Police Major Crime investigators.
No additional information was immediately released.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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