Nigerian church massacre kills 19
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Three men entered a central Nigeria church just before Bible study began but, instead of joining the worship service, they opened fire, killing 19 people as violence spreads in the divided nation.
Witnesses and the military described a chaotic, blood-soaked scene at the Deeper Life evangelical church in Otite, a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Okene, 155 miles southwest of the capital, Abuja.
Two gunmen strafed the windowless sanctuary Monday night with Kalashnikov assault rifles, said Lt. Col. Gabriel Olorunyomi, the head of a local joint army and police unit.
Another gunman stayed back and switched off the generator providing lights in the church, leaving worshippers trapped inside as gunfire flashed through the darkness, witness Lawan Saliu said. Saliu, who suffered gunshot wounds to the stomach, said from a hospital bed.
No group claimed responsibility, but Nigeria is facing attacks from the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
Olorunyomi said 15 people died in the church and four died later of their injuries. The number of wounded remained unknown; some sought care in hospitals, while others remained at home. A rescue officialsaid that probably fewer than 20 people were wounded in the attack.
Soldiers and police officers searched for gunmen through the night, but had made no arrests, said Kogi state police spokesman Simon Ile. -- AP
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'Success is zero deaths on the roadway' Newsday reporters spent this year examining the risks on Long Island's roads, where traffic crashes over a decade killed more than 2,100 people and seriously injured more than 16,000. This documentary is a result of that newsroom-wide effort.
