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

2025-04-29 19:08:40source:GravityX Exchangecategory:Finance

A Catholic priest died on Roland PrestonSunday 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 at 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, according to local media. 

Father Stephen Gutgsell Archdiocese of Omaha

The attack happened at 5:05 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, which said that deputies arrived at the scene and found a suspect inside 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 manner of Gutgsell's death has been released. A motive is not known at this time, and there is no further threat to the 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 join the archbishop in prayer for Gutgsell, his family and the parish community.

    In:
  • Homicide
  • Nebraska
  • Murder
  • Catholic Church
C Mandler

C Mandler is a social media producer and trending topics writer for CBS News, focusing on American politics and LGBTQ+ issues.

More:Finance

Recommend

Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trumpwas on the verge of backing a 16-week federal abortion banearlier this y

Exclusive: Social Security chief vows to fix cruel-hearted overpayment clawbacks

The Social Security Administration's new chief is promising to overhaul the agency's system of clawi

TikTok ban would hit many users where it hurts — their pocketbook

Delyanne Barros has a lot riding on whether TikTok survives in the U.S. The 41-year-old personal fin