PRICHARD, Ala. — An Alabama woman is accused of fatally shooting a 65-year-old woman who was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet as she entered a church, authorities said.
Kaillyn Christine Harris, 26, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling and a probation violation, according to Mobile County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
Harris surrendered to authorities on Thursday, WKRG-TV reported.
“I’m sorry and I didn’t intend to do this,” the television station reported Harris as saying outside the Mobile County jail. “Anybody who knows me, know I got a good heart. And I ain’t intend to do this. Can y’all please forgive me?”
Harris was charged with the death of Grace Carter, who was shot Tuesday at about 7:15 p.m. CST inside Everlasting Life Holiness Church in Prichard, WKRG reported. According to the Prichard Police Department, a stray bullet from a shooting outside the church flew through the door and struck Carter, who was attending Bible study.
“I just want to say she was very cooperative and very remorseful of the situation,” Prichard Police Chief Walter Knight told WKRG and WALA-TV. “It’s just such a tragic event that happened that altered the life of two families.”
Carter’s husband, Cecil Carter Sr., told WALA that his wife often attended services at the church. They were married for 35 years, and Cecil Carter is pastor-elect at Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church, the television station reported.
“She was really looking forward to it. She was very proud, and very happy, and very proud of me,” Carter told WALA. “But right now the emptiness of her not being here for the installation is going to be hard for me.”