LE††UCE PREY
Valerie Hall of Uniontown Pa. suffered a wound to a vital area in the parking lot of Solid Rock Ministries on Millview Street shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday when she confronted her grandson to hand over the gun. She was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia and was in stable condition Friday.
The ten year old, who has autism, lives at the church with his grandparents. His grandfather is pastor Elmer “Buzz” Hall. They have raised the boy since he was six months old.
The boy and his grandmother were at the church with six children and two adults for a Bible study and dance class when he found the keys to a locked bedroom in her purse in a hall closet. He rooted through his grandfather’s dressers and was able to open the locked gun safe. He fired shots at the church building and shot Hall when she tried to take the gun from him, police said.
Pastor Elmer said he was the one that was “supposed to be there”.
He was taking his son to run errands, outside of their normal routine. Hall said he thinks he could have gotten the boy to give him the gun as the child is sometimes “defiant” with his grandma.
- The pastor said that the boy has a 4 year-old mentality.
- Grandma was shot twice.
- In 2018 the boy started a fire inside the church.
- The boy is now at a juvenile detention facility.
- He faces attempted homicide and other charges.
- No charges will be filed against the grandparents.
Thoughts & Prayers
Uniontown City Police Lt. Tom Kolencik sends his thoughts & prayers to the family.
Refrain from quoting Scripture and/or proselytizing.
