A man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest outside his church residence in Seneca, Kansas.
Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged with first-degree murder on Friday and is being held on a $1 million bond, according to Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said a 911 call was made around 3 p.m. Thursday reporting gunfire at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Deputies found 57-year-old Father Arul Carasala with multiple gunshot wounds outside the church residence. He was rushed to Nemaha Valley Community Hospital but later died from his injuries.
Authorities, including Kansas Highway Patrol, Nemaha County deputies, and Seneca police, quickly secured the scene and arrested Hermesch. He is currently in custody at the Nemaha County Jail and is awaiting formal charges.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City expressed sorrow over Carasala’s death, calling it a “senseless act of violence” and honoring the priest’s more than two decades of service. Carasala, originally from the Diocese of Cuddapah in India, had served at Saints Peter and Paul for nearly 14 years and was also dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region.
The parish community expressed its grief on Facebook, asking for time to process the tragedy and promising to share updates as they become available.
Hermesch is expected to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
