A Baptist pastor was shot and killed in Maryland by a man his family had known for three decades. Police have arrested the suspect and charged him with second-degree murder.

Police in Prince George's County said 59-year-old Benjamin Francis was killed last Sunday following an argument with Herbert Mason Jr., 58, on Rockport Lane in Bowie, as reported by DC News Now.

The shooting occurred after what police described as an argument between the two men, though the nature of the dispute has not been disclosed. Officers responded to reports of gunfire, where they found Francis with fatal gunshot wounds.

Mason was taken into custody the following day and formally charged with second-degree murder.

Francis was an ordained minister who served at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Lanham. He was also an Army veteran and a grandfather.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to help support his wife, Monica Wills, which has raised just under $2,800 so far. She said the family is facing significant costs and will need help "keeping our household afloat during this incredibly difficult time."

"He was not only a loving husband and father, but also the sole provider for our family," Wills wrote. "His sudden loss has left us heartbroken and struggling to manage both emotionally and financially."

His son, also named Benjamin Francis, described his father as "a great man" who "believed in Jesus Christ," and said the two had recently spent time together picking up his daughter. "That is a memory I will forever cherish," he told DC News Now.

The son said the situation was heartbreaking, and while he did not hate the man, he condemned his actions and believed he must be held accountable. He added that he was turning to prayer for the strength to forgive.

Speaking with NBC Washington, Francis' son said the fact that the suspect had been close to the family made the trauma even harder to process.

Francis was remembered as a man of deep faith and conviction.

"He was definitely a man with a kind heart, a generous heart," the son said. 

Francis' preaching style was "very straight to the point" and didn't "sugarcoat much," the son said. 

The family said the outpouring of support since the pastor's death has been overwhelming.

"I can't say it enough," the younger Francis was quoted as saying. "Thank you to everybody who has come by, brought us food, brought us prayers, brought us flowers. It's definitely tough, but we're relying on the Lord, right now."

Francis leaves behind a wife, six children and two grandchildren.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/baptist-pastor-gunned-down-by-family-friend-of-30-years.html