Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – A man facing charges for attempting to kill a pastor during a church service in North Braddock on Sunday has been implicated in the murder of his cousin. Bernard Junior Polite, 26, walked into the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church with a loaded gun, intending to harm the pastor, Rev. Glenn Germany. Witnesses reported that the gun misfired when he tried to shoot the pastor, leading to his arrest by a brave church deacon, Clarence McCallister.
Polite allegedly confessed to the police that he planned to kill the pastor to clear his mind in jail. He claimed to have been influenced by spirits that encouraged him to commit the act. The failed shooting incident at the church was captured on camera, with McCallister tackling the suspect before any harm could be done.
Following the church incident, Polite’s relatives discovered his cousin, Derek Polite, dead at their shared home. Derek had been shot in the head with the same gun that was used at the church. Polite, who also showed signs of smiling during his detainment, faces murder charges alongside attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment.
Both McCallister and Germany emphasized that they had never seen Polite before the incident. Public records indicate that Polite has connections to New Jersey. Authorities are holding him without bail at the Allegheny County Jail, awaiting his arraignment for the murder charge. The tragic events have shed light on the importance of addressing mental illness seriously and promptly in the community.