A woman was killed and six others were injured when a masked gunman opened fire at a church in Tennessee, United States, on Sunday, Reuters reported. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson, walked into Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, and opened fire after 11 am (local time), said Metropolitan Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron.

The attacker targeted the church usher, striking him on the head with the weapon before firing and injuring himself, the police said. But the usher, Robert Engle, retrieved a gun from his vehicle and kept the attacker at bay until the police arrived. “This is an exceptionally brave individual,” Aaron said of the usher. He has been taken to a local hospital.

The police identified the deceased woman as 39-year-old Melanie Smith. She was shot dead in the parking lot. Two of the six injured are in critical condition, a spokesman for Vanderbilt University Medical Center told local news daily the Tennessean. “The two critical patients suffered gunshot wounds to their chest and torso,” John Howser said.