Man Set To Stand Trial For Allegedly Shooting a Bride and a Bishop at a Wedding Right After The Couple Was Declared Husband and Wife

The bishop was officiating the wedding of Claire McMullen and Mark Castiglione when gunshots rang out. One bullet struck the bride in the arm, while another hit Bishop Stanley Choate in the chest.

This incident took place in October 2019, and it wasn't the first time something like this happened at New England Pentecostal Ministries in Pelham, New Hampshire.

Only 11 days earlier, the church's pastor, Luis Garcia, was fatally shot in his home. Prosecutors now claim that this earlier shooting is connected to the gunfire during the wedding. 

They argue that "the defendant turned a wedding into chaos with just a few shots," as prosecutor Seth Dobieski stated during the trial.

From the start, the police believed that the shooting was targeted and not a random event. Dale Holloway, Garcia's stepson, was arrested in connection with the wedding shooting after wedding guests reportedly tackled him and held him down until the police arrived.

In another twist, the groom's son, Brandon Castiglione, had been arrested before the wedding, charged with the murder of Pastor Garcia. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 42 years for the pastor's killing. Strangely, the motive for the pastor's fatal shooting remains unknown.

People who came to the church to mourn their fallen pastor later that day were reportedly turned away by law enforcement who were still investigating the disrupted wedding.

The trial featured the couple's wedding video, and the videographer, James Merchant, claimed that Holloway was the shooter. He described how Holloway pointed the gun at the bishop's chest and expressed his fear for his life. Prosecutors, however, did not respond to requests for interviews.

During the chaos, the groom was struck in the head by an object. Both the bride and groom, both in their 60s, were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Despite being in serious condition at Tufts Medical Center in Boston hours after the ceremony, the 75-year-old bishop survived his injuries.

Holloway, who is already serving a state prison sentence for assaulting his lawyer, is now representing himself against attempted murder charges. He has pleaded not guilty and plans to argue an insanity defense.

[SOURCE]