Thomas S. Mourning II

A Missouri man was in custody Saturday after police say he opened fire on multiple vehicles, including a church van, injuring five people and two comfort service dogs. 

Police in Joplin, Missouri, were responding to a call at 5:08 a.m. Saturday about a possible shooting at a duplex in a residential area, though they found no victims at the scene. Tom S. Mourning II, 26, was driving when police prepared to stop his vehicle.

According to police, Mourning fired multiple shots as he drove, striking a van from Immanuel Lutheran Church sitting at a stoplight and an oncoming white pickup truck with two adults inside. 

“As rounds were being fired, they continued to stay with that suspect, continued to pursue that suspect even though they knew the suspect was actively firing his weapon,” said Joplin Police Chief Matt Stewart. 

Mourning then made a U-turn and eventually surrendered to officers and was arrested at 5:22 a.m. without resistance. 

Police said a rifle and handgun were recovered from Mourning’s car but a motive for the shootings has yet to be determined. There appears to be no relation between the suspect and the victims, and the shootings appear to be “random,” police said.

Currently all the victims are in stable, or better, condition. The van occupants were on their way to St. Louis for a meeting about the church’s Comfort Dog ministry. The two dogs in the van, Louie and Jackson, were shot as well. A bullet grazed one dog while the other was sustained a gunshot wound and is currently in surgery.

Kenneth Eby, driver of the Immanuel Lutheran Church van, received multiple gunshot wounds and is in critical but stable condition at a Joplin hospital. Karen Mech was riding in the back seat of the van and suffered minor shrapnel injuries and cuts.

Heidi Gustin, who was riding in the back seat of the church van, received a gunshot wound in the arm and her injuries were listed as serious but not life threatening.

The two other victims of the shooting were Donal and Debbie Pugh, the driver and passenger in the white truck. Donal Pugh was shot several times and is in serious but stable condition. Debbie Pugh suffered minor shrapnel injuries and cuts.

According to Jason Glaskey, head of the church’s comfort dog ministry and director of Christian education at Immanuel Lutheran Church, others from the church ministry also were in the van as well, but were not hit. 

“This came out of the blue and all of a sudden people were shot and going to the hospital,” said Glaskey.

He said he was not aware of any one at the church who knew the suspect, adding: “It was random.”

“Our dogs were also injured. One of them has been released and the other one is receiving medical care,” he said.

Comfort dogs go into schools, communities, hospitals and nursing homes, and deploy after disasters. 

“We are very grateful that these victims do not appear to have life-threatening wounds because of this act,” said Joplin Mayor Mike Seibert. 

Thomas writes for the Joplin, Missouri, Globe.