Nationwide — In 2020, Ulysses Woodard, an African American pastor from Mobile, Alabama, shocked his church community when he shot his wife, Prophetess Alisha Woodard, outside a church after a heated argument. He then shot himself and died, while his wife survived. Alisha Woodard had just preached at True Cornerstone Church in Mobile when her estranged husband, Ulysses, showed up and asked to speak with her. Both were leaders at another church, but had been living apart for about two weeks, according to the Christian Post.

Pastor Derek Scott Gandy, who witnessed the incident, said Ulysses approached him calmly that night and politely asked to talk to Alisha. Gandy agreed and later saw them talking outside. When the conversation became tense, he offered to drive Alisha home but decided not to interfere in what seemed like a private matter.

Moments later, Alisha screamed and ran toward Gandy’s car. Ulysses grabbed her and shot her in the chest before fleeing the scene. Police later found him back at the church parking lot. As officers approached his vehicle, Ulysses shot himself. His car then crashed into the church building.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Alisha was taken to the hospital and survived.

Church members say she’s a devoted woman of faith and they’re thankful she’s alive. Gandy, a close friend of Ulysses, said he was stunned by the incident.

“I didn’t see this coming… I didn’t see this coming. He wasn’t a monster, at least not that I’ve ever seen,” he said.

The 2020 shooting left the church community shaken, especially since children witnessed the event. They had been considering moving to a new church location to heal from the tragedy.