Horrified parishioners watched a man pull out a gun and open fire on a churchgoer as she tried to run away, fatally wounding her just before services began Sunday morning, police said.
Tanya McCall, 40, of Vallejo was shot multiple times after arguing with the man in the parking lot of Acts Full Gospel Church in East Oakland, witnesses told police. Paramedics responding from the fire station next door pronounced her dead at the scene.
McCall, who regularly attended the church, “apparently knew” the suspect, said Oakland police Sgt. Tony Jones.
Parishioners could not hear what the pair were arguing about, and police have yet to identify a suspect, Jones said.
Acts Full Bishop Bob Jackson said he and his parishioners are in shock.
“The church is supposed to be a safe haven for people to come to and now, as you can see, there are no safe havens,” said Jackson.