Church Shooting

[John Sides]

PUTNAM COUNTY — A man entered a Double Springs church Sunday morning, shooting one person before turning the gun on himself, police say.

An emergency call reporting a shooting came in around 9:05 a.m. from the Double Springs Community Church located at the corner of Double Springs Road and Church Street, west of Cookeville.

The Putnam County SWAT team responded to the scene, entering the building to find one female with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and one male, the suspected shooter, dead.

The female victim was taken by ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center where she was undergoing emergency surgery Sunday morning, according to Putnam County Sheriff David Andrews. Reportedly she made it through surgery and was still listed in critical condition.

“All we know at this time is that the man’s wife or ex-wife was inside the building with her sister at the time,” Andrews said before just noon Sunday. “We are still interviewing witnesses and working the crime scene at this time.”

It was believed the three were the only people in the church at the time, Andrews said.

The shooter, Tommy Meadows, 64, of Bloomington Springs, was reportedly carrying a handgun which was used in the shooting.

A portion of Highway 70 between Cookeville and Baxter was closed for some time Sunday as the scene was secured. That road reopened by 11 a.m. but other roads near the church were still closed as authorities worked the scene.

Read more: Herald Citizen - BREAKING NEWS Shooting at Double Springs church

[Fred762]

Sad, but think: you CCW for protection..why is church not a place for defense? Yeah I know..it might be THE DAY you are supposed to meet Jesus...but it is much more likely that it will be the day a perp is supposed to meet Jesus.