VISALIA, California (ABC 4 News) – A Mormon bishop was gunned down while working in his office after a church meeting Sunday afternoon. Police did not know why Kenneth James Ward targeted and killed the bishop.
Dozens gathered outside their chapel Sunday afternoon as police chased down the man they say walked into the building, asked for the leader, waited for some time, then walked into Bishop Clay Sannar’s office and shot him dead.
Ralph Jordan, a local spokesperson for the church said, "Well, thankfully, our congregations meet in the morning and in the afternoon, and the morning congregation had finished its meetings. Clay Sannar was still in the building, but the majority of the people had exited and had been out of the building for some time, but there were a few people still in the building, and he was doing office work, and our understanding is that at that time someone entered the building, and that's when the event occurred."
Detectives say the suspect then took off, leaving behind a congregation shocked and saddened over the loss of their bishop.
The LDS church released this statement:
We have learned of the shooting incident in Visalia, California today which has taken the life of Bishop Clay Sannar. At this tragic time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Sannar family and all who knew Bishop Sannar.
Sannar was called by the church to be bishop just four months ago. He was a man of faith, and a father of six.
Jordan said, “Just a few months ago he had his sixth baby boy”.
Sannar lost his life while serving faithfully as a newly called bishop in a Visalia ward near Fresno, California.
