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Two teens shoot at priest on church property Monday night

Posted at 8:14 PM, Dec 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-13 11:38:18-05

A priest was shot at in Cleveland as he was walking around the church property and locking up various buildings Monday night.

Father John Kumse of St. Mary's Church told police he was walking out of the chicken coop with a carton of eggs when he noticed someone in the bushes near him.

He said he was walking to the parking lot when two teenage boys came up from behind him and said, "Give me the eggs."

Kumse ran away and the teenagers chased after him, according to police. The priest fell down just before one of the teens shot three times at him.

Kumse told police he was able to run south down E. 155th St. The two teenagers got into a van which was parked in the church parking lot and left the area.

Surveillance cameras on the church property show what appears to be the two teens waiting and hiding in order to ambush Kumse. Cameras also caught a van in the parking lot prior to the shooting, and shows the two teens getting out of and into the van before and after the shooting.

Cameras also show two young girls getting out of the van before the shooting and running back to the van during the shooting.

A nearby shop owner Daniel Wortor, who owns Kamoe & Kulubah Place, said to young girls walked into his shop minutes before the shooting. One of the girls asked to use the phone and was pretending to call her dad to ask him to pick her and the other girl up. Wortor told police he believes they were stalling for time and no call was ever placed. Wortor had surveillance video of the two girls in his shop.

Kumse also said a friend had his car parked in the church parking lot before the van parked. He says there was nothing on the rearview window before the incident, but afterwards it read, "MBK. Lakesho ManMan."

Three juveniles have been arrested for aggravated robbery. The suspect vehicle was found in the 200 block of E. 150th St.