A pastor in Virginia is facing a revolt from his own congregation after he put up a sign echoing controversial comments from President Donald Trump.
Pastor E.W. Lucas of Friendship Baptist Church in Appomattox made headlines last week after putting up the sign "America, I love it. If you don’t love it, leave it.”
The pastor put up the sign the same week that Trump lashed out at progressive congresswomen with a racist demand they “go back” to their country of origin.
"People that feel hard about our president and want to down the president and down the country and everything, they ought to go over there and live in these other countries for a little while," Lucas told WSET.
This past Sunday, however, members of his church walked out of the service.
According to WSET, “the church was empty for its 11 a.m. service.”
But the pastor is standing behind his message.
"I've tried to be honest," Lucas told WSET. "I've tried to do what's right. But I believe in my country. I love my country. And I don't mind standing up for the country."
A person of interest was arrested in connection with a shooting at a Florida beach boardwalk Monday evening that left nine people with injuries that required hospitalization, authorities said.
It proved to be one of many incidents of gun violence over the holiday weekend. As a result, at least 16 people have died thus far, with dozens injured.
An additional person of interest is sought in connection with the shooting, Hollywood Berach police spokeswoman Deanna Bettineschi told reporters.
The outstanding person is described as a Black male with dreadlocks, a black short-sleeved shirt and camouflage shorts.
Online cameras in the boardwalk area show a frantic scene in which people are running as the sound of gunfire is heard.
Officers at around 6:42 p.m. responded to Johnson Street on the report of the shooting, Bettineschi said.
“Officers immediately began rendering aid, and then the nine victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Hospital,” Bettineschi said.
An altercation between the two groups is believed to be what precipitated the shooting.
“Police are responding right now. We have victims treated by police and paramedics on scene and transported to the hospital,” said Mayor Josh Levy, The Sun Sentinel reported.
“It seemed like people might have gotten caught in the crossfire. But I can’t verify that,” Levy said.
No additional was immediately available.
At least 16 people were killed and dozens more injured across the country in Memorial Day weekend shootings, NBC News reports.
The shootings occurred in at least nine states at beaches, high schools and motorcycle rallies among other locations, according to the report.
The most recent shooting occurred Monday at around 7 p.m. local time in Hollywood, Florida, where at least seven people including a 15-year-old were shot near the boardwalk. No additional details of this shooting were immediately available.
In Chicago alone, more than eight people were killed and another 32 were injured in separate shootings.
At around 3:30 p.m. Friday, five people were injured in a Baltimore shooting, all of whom suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
In Mesa, Arizona, Iren Byers, 20, was arrested in connection with a series of shootings from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening that killed four people and injured another, police said.
Byers was arrested on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree attempted murderer, police said in a news release. He is being held without bail.
On Saturday evening, a shooting at a Red River, New Mexico motorcycle rally killed three people and injured five others, including the suspect, who was arrested in connection with the shooting. The suspect, Jacob David Castillo, 30 of Rio Rancho, suffered injuries that required hospitalization and will be booked into the Taos County Detention Center after he’s released.
A Garden Grove, California shooting at a restaurant Saturday evening injured three people, two of whom were seriously injured. Patrons detained the suspect, but it’s not yet known whether he had been arrested or charged.
In Atlanta early Sunday one teenager was killed and another injured during a “unauthorized gathering” at Benjamin E. Mays High School.
In Washington D.C., one person was killed and late Sunday in a shooting on a Metro Transit Green Line train at the Navy Yard station.
Three people were injured Saturday evening in a south Seattle casino shooting,
The early videos from Hollywood, Florida's mass shooting show a terrified public race from the sound of the gunfire, and online cameras on the boardwalk show. CBS News reported at least 7 people have been shot, including a 15-year-old.
"Residents and visitors: Please avoid the area of Johnson to Garfield Streets, as well as the Hollywood Broadwalk, due to an ongoing shooting investigation. Heavy police presence in the area. If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson Street and N Ocean bus loop," the Hollywood Beach Police Department posted on their Facebook page shortly before 7 p.m. ET. As of 7:36 p.m. EST, police were still advising the public that there was an "ongoing situation." The Daily Beast reported that the first shots fired were heard outside Nicks Bar & Grill around 7 p.m. local time.
Videos show beachgoers enjoying the sunshine before racing behind barriers and trees seeking cover. Another purporting to be from the scene shows a man who appeared to be shot with friends calling for medical attention and trying to help.
“Police are responding right now. We have victims treated by police and paramedics on scene and transported to the hospital,” said Mayor Josh Levy, The Sun Sentinel reported.
“It seemed like people might have gotten caught in the crossfire. But I can’t verify that,” Levy said.
The report also said that the beach usually has millions of people visiting each year.
Local 10 News South Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Keys. https://www.local10.com/ www.youtube.com
\u201cFlorida | People can be seen scattering on public cameras as the shooting unfolds on Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. \n\nA man ducks behind concrete barriers and then tries to render aid to others that have been injured it appears. \n\nPermitless concealed becomes legal in a month here\u2026\u201d— \uff2e\uff45\uff52\uff44\uff59 \ud83c\udd70\ud83c\udd73\ud83c\udd73\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd72\ud83c\udd83 (@\uff2e\uff45\uff52\uff44\uff59 \ud83c\udd70\ud83c\udd73\ud83c\udd73\ud83c\udd78\ud83c\udd72\ud83c\udd83) 1685404598
\u201cHollywood Beach, FL - Memorial Day Shooting on the Boardwalk. Video from Hollywood Beach TV on FB.\u201d— kygrl (@kygrl) 1685404950
\u201cMultiple people shot including 15-year-old at Boardwalk in Hollywood Beach. Preliminary reports indicated at least seven people had been shot, including a 15-year-old in the area of the 1200 block of N. Broadwalk.\nhttps://t.co/i2NbVbbxV3\u201d— Fox3 Now (@Fox3 Now) 1685404988
\u201cAnother mass shooting\n\nHollywood Beach, Florida \n\nWhen will it stop?\n\n\u201d— David Leavitt \ud83c\udfae\ud83c\udfb2\ud83e\uddd9\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\ud83c\udf08 (@David Leavitt \ud83c\udfae\ud83c\udfb2\ud83e\uddd9\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\ud83c\udf08) 1685404607
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