A churchgoer in South Carolina repeatedly stabbed a fellow parishioner during a service on Sunday, police said.
Billy Lewis, 65, of Wedgefield, was attending Sunday school at the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church when he allegedly stood up and attacked the unidentified man in the pew in front of him.
Witnesses claimed the vicious attack on the older man was entirely unprovoked, WLTX reported.
“There’d been no argument,” Sumter County Sheriff’s Department public information officer Ken Bell said. “As far as we know, there’d been no animosity between the victim and the suspect.”
The victim sustained injuries to the back of his head, neck and shoulder.
Bell said the suspect had a “history” of mental illness, but he had never turned violent before.
“This is the first time we’ve ever known violence so this is really a surprise for all of us,” Bell added.
A nurse who was attending the service aided the victim until he was airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland medical center. He is reportedly in a stable condition.
Police charged Lewis with attempted murder. Additional charges may be filed during his bail hearing on Monday.
“This is certainly a tragic event,” Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis told WYFF4. “As bad as it was, we are fortunate it was not worse. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the church members as well as the victim and his family and the suspect.”
