Authorities in Florida said that a maintenance worker was injured at a church in Osceola County on Tuesday when he got into a shootout with the pastor.Deputies told WFTV that Living Water Fellowship church Pastor Terry Howell was in a meeting to terminate the worker’s employment when the man pulled out a gun and opened fire. The pastor reportedly produced his own gun and returned fire.
The maintenance worker, who was identified as Benjamin Parongan, was said to be in critical condition after being taken to Osceola Regional Medical Center.
Howell was not injured, according to reports.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Twis Lizauain said that 20 children in a child care facility on the church campus were not harmed during the incident.
“There is a child care facility on the property at the church,” she explained. “It was not affected in any way by this isolated incident. We have contacted those parents and the majority of them have come to pick up their children.”
Criminal charges were pending against Parongan. Deputies said the case was being investigated as a case of self-defense, and that Howell had not been charged.