Police say the suspect in a deadly shooting at a south Fulton County megachurch has been taken into custody. Officers arrested Floyd Palmer, 51, at Lenox Square in Buckhead just before 4 p.m.
Palmer waived his first court appearance on Thursday, and remains in the Fulton County. He is facing four charges, including Homicide and Felony Murder in connection with the shooting.
Palmer is accused of a shooting and killing 39-year-old Gregory McDowell as he was leading services at World Changers International Church on Wednesday morning. Fulton County Police Cpl. Kay Lester said Palmer walked into the chapel and started firing shots. McDowell was the only person hurt. McDowell was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say Palmer is a former church maintenance man who resigned from his position earlier this year.
Lester said Palmer calmly left the scene after the shooting, possibly in a black Subaru station wagon with black tinted windows and dark black tires.
Authorities later tracked down Palmer at a Macy's in the Lenox Square mall after an Atlanta Police officer spotted the vehicle in the parking lot. He was taken into custody without incident and did not have any weapons on him at the time of the arrest, Lester said.
Officers transported Palmer to the Fulton County Major Case division, where he was questioned. He was then taken to Fulton County Jail.
The Associated Press reports that in 2001, Palmer was charged with attempted murder, assault and handgun charges in Baltimore.
Palmer was committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2004 after pleading not criminally responsible to lesser charges, the AP reports. He was released the following year, according to court records.
A spokesman with Baltimore police said the department did not have the arrest records in Floyd Palmer's case. They did not know what led to his being committed and released from the psychiatric hospital.
Police do not know if McDowell was targeted, and there's no word on any relationship between Palmer and the victim.
The megachurch in south Fulton County is pastored by the Rev. Creflo Dollar. According to its website, it has more than 30,000 members. Dollar was not present when the shooting occurred.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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Authorities arrested Floyd Palmer, 52, at Lenox Square in Buckhead just before 4 p.m.
