A Catholic priest in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, has died Sunday after being attacked in a church rectory, authorities said.
According to CTVNews, the Archdiocese of Omaha in a Sunday statement said the 65-year-old Rev. Stephen Gutgsell was assaulted “during an invasion at the rectory”.
The newspaper added that Gutgsell was taken to an Omaha hospital where he died from his injuries, church officials said. Fort Calhoun, with a population of about 1,000 people, is roughly 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Omaha.
Police received a 911 call of an attempted break-in at the church just after 5 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Gutgsell injured and an alleged attacker inside. Authorities took the suspect into custody, Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson said in a statement.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and the name of the suspect or manner of death will not be released,” Robinson said.
