On Sunday morning, a man opened fire in a church in Knoxville, Tennessee, killing 2 persons and injuring 7 others, Reuters reported.  

The man entered the church at 10.18 a.m. and started shooting while 25 children were performing the play “Annie.” In line with WATE-TV, none of the kids got hurt. They ran away and three of them were found hiding at an adjacent church, informed Catherine Howell of WNOX Radio, a FOX affiliate.

The injured people were in critical condition, a Knoxville city council member said. Becky Thompson, spokeswoman for the University of Tennessee Medical Center, confirmed that 7 people were taken to the hospital and were in “various stages of treatment,” but details haven’t been revealed.

It appears that nobody at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist recognized the gunman. The man was tackled by congregation members and taken into custody. 58-year-old Jim D. Adkisson was charged with first-degree murder and being held on a $1 million bond at the Knox County Detention Center, stated Randall Kenner, communications coordinator for Knoxville. The perpetrator’s motive wasn’t known.

Everybody was shocked by the occurrence. “We’ve been touched by a horrible act of violence. We are in a process of healing and we ask everyone for our prayers,” Rev. Chris Bruice said in a statement. “It’s hard to believe,” said Charles Frye, a resident of Knoxville. “It’s a great congregation. There are lawyers and professors at University of Tennessee who go there,” he added.

Starting 1950’s, the church’s congregation has made efforts for desegregation, racial harmony, fair incomes and women’s rights, says its Web site. Furthermore, the congregation has offered shelter for political refugees and fed homeless people.