A California pastor has been arrested for attempted murder after a domestic dispute at his Harbor City home ended with him allegedly shooting his estranged son-in-law.
According to Fox 11 Los Angeles, Gordon Mueller, the pastor of Believers' Victory International Church in Carson, California, was taken into police custody after he allegedly shot his son-in-law, who is also a Los Angeles County deputy, during a heated argument. The son-in-law was off duty at the time of the incident. He was transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.
Fox 11 reports that the deputy and his wife are separated, and the wife and their son are living with her parents. Neighbors told the outlet that the two men became engaged in a loud argument that quickly became a physical fight and ultimately led to the son-in-law allegedly being shot by Mueller. It is unclear what the men were arguing about.
One neighbor, identified as Tom Houston, described Mueller, 58, as a "very nice guy" and said he believed "he was trying to defend his family."
"Hope nothing happens to him," Houston added.
Newsweek reports that Mueller is being held on $1 million bail. If convicted, Mueller could face several years in prison.
According to the church's website, Mueller and his wife, Delores, started their church out of their living room in September 2002. Initially just meeting as a family, the ministry began to grow, and by October of that year, six families began to meet on a regular basis.
By November, the Muellers officially launched their ministry.
Church leaders have declined to comment on the Monday night shooting. Fox 11 also reports that they were unable to reach the Mueller family for comment.
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Kayla Koslosky has been the Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com since 2018. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.
