Controversial Pastor Comes Home to a Scary Scene

Tennessee cops say gunshots were fired at home of Global Vision Bible Church's Greg Locke
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 5, 2024 8:55 AM CDT
Cops: Gunshots Fired at Home of Vocal Right-Wing Pastor
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/carlballou)

Tennessee police are investigating after they say gunfire rained down Tuesday evening upon the home of controversial Christian pastor Greg Locke. Dozens of rounds were fired at the Global Vision Bible Church leader's residence, garage, and vehicle, though Wilson County Sheriff's Office Capt. Scott Moore says there were no injuries, reports the Tennessean.

  • More on the shooting: When deputies arrived at the scene around 10:30pm local time, they retrieved between 30 and 40 casings from the property, says Moore. The shooting is being investigated, with no arrests reported as of Thursday morning.

  • Locke's take: In a Facebook post, the pastor says one of his kids was home at the time of the shooting, though not in the part of the house that came under fire, and that he and other family members pulled up "exactly ONE MINUTE after a madman unloaded an entire magazine of bullets from an automatic weapon," per WZTV.
  • More from Locke: The pastor, who viewed security footage of the incident, adds that "the sound on the video is truly horrific," and that "one of the bullets cut through the headboard of our youngest daughter's bed and lodged in her pillow" (he shows a photo of the bed in the post, as well as of the bullet holes in his vehicle). Locke notes that, at the time of his post, he and his family were on their way, with a security escort, to stay at a hotel. It's not clear if they've since returned to the home.
  • History: The Tennessean notes that Locke has drawn an ample social-media following with both his "conservative political stances and the launch of a mass-deliverance ministry that involves casting out evil spirits." His church has also been vandalized in the past. The Washington Post has more on the controversies surrounding Locke, including his conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccine (he was banned from Twitter for those) and Harry Potter/Disney/Twilight book burnings.
(More pastor stories.)

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