Nebraska priest killed after church assault; suspect is in custody, officials say

A Catholic priest died on Sunday after being assaulted at his church in Nebraska, officials said.

Father Stephen Gutgsell, a priest at St. John the Baptist Church in Fort Calhoun, was assaulted on the church’s rectory. He was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. He was 65 years old, in line with local media. 

The attack happened at 5:05 a.m. local time on Sunday, in line with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, which said that deputies arrived on the scene and located a suspect contained in the rectory. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a county correctional facility. 

The investigation is ongoing, and neither the identity of the suspect nor the way of Gutgsell’s death has been released. A motive isn’t known presently, and there is no such thing as a further threat to the general public, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Archdiocese of Omaha is praying for Father Stephen Gutgsell,” the Archdiocese of Omaha said in a statement. The statement asked mourners to hitch the archbishop in prayer for Gutgsell, his family and the parish community.