Deputies: Pastor, maintenance worker exchange gunfire inside church A pastor at Living Water Fellowship Church in Osceola County shot and injured a maintenance worker in self-defense Tuesday morning, deputies said. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT GOOD HEALTH. THEY'RE IN THE CARE OF DCF. MICHELLE MEREDITH, WESH 2 NEWS. INVESTIGATORS SAY A PASTOR EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH A MAINTENANCE MAN IN HIS OSCEOLA CHURCH MORNING. GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN HAS BEEN AT THE SCENE ALL DAY. POLICE SAY MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION WITNESSED THE WHOLE THING? YES. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE ACTUALLY IN THE MEETING WITH THE MAINTENANCE WORKER BENJAMIN PARANGAN TO DISCUSS HIS TERMINATION. WITNESSES SAY EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST. MULTIPLE SHOTS WERE FIRED AT THE PASTOR AND THE PASTOR FIRED BACK. OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES RESPOND TO MULTIPLE SHOTS FIRED INSIDE LIVING WATER FELLOWSHIP CHURCH ON PLEASANT HILL ROAD IN KISSIMMEE. A MAINTENANCE WORKER BENJAMIN PARANGAN WAS CALLED TO THE CHURCH TO BE TERMINATED AFTER WORKING HERE SEVERAL YEARS. PARAGAB PRODUCED A HANDGUN, FIRED MULTIPLE SHOTS AT PASTOR TERRY HOWELL. PASTOR HOWELL PULLED HIS OWN WEAPON AND FIRED SHOTS BACK. PARANGAN WAS TAKEN TO OSCEOLA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN CRITICAL CONDITION. BOTH HAD CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS. INVESTIGATORS ARE CALLING THE SHOOTING SELF-DEFENSE. A FORMER CHURCH MEMBER AND ONE WHO WORKED WITH PARANGAN SAID WHEN HE HEARD THE NEWS I LOOKED AT MY WIFE AND SAID I HOPE THE PASTOR IS NOT DEAD OR BEN. PARENTS WERE CALLED TO PICK UP THEIR CHILD AT THE FACILITY WHICH WAS NOT AFFECTED. VERY UNFORTUNATE AND SAD. I DON'T WANT TO SAY UPSETTING. PUT IT IN GOD'S HANDS. LUIS HAS KNOWN HIS NEIGHBOR BENJAMIN FOR NINE YEARS. WHEN BE WENT TO THE MAINTENANCE WORKER'S NEIGHBORHOOD IN POINCIANA DEPUTIES WERE SITTING OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE WAITING FOR DETECTIVES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT IT. BUT TO ME IT LOOKED LIKE A GOOD PERSON. A GOOD PERSON. CHARGES ARE PENDING AGAINST PARANGAN WHO COULD FACE ANYTHING FROM AGGRAVATED ASSAULT TO ATTEMPTED MURDER. NOW THIS IS A STATEMENT WE GOT JUST FROM LIVING WATER FELLOWSHIP MOMENTS AGO SAYING... WE ARE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE ON-GOING OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE TRAUMATIC INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AT OUR CHURCH THIS MORNING. THE MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ALL OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS MORNING'S INCIDENT. WE DID JUST GET AN UPDATE AS IT RELATES TO BENJAMIN PARAGAB'S CONDITION. IT HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO STABLE. HE IS IN OSCEOLA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. A NEIGHBOR TELLS US HE IS

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