Nashville church shooting suspect made cryptic Facebook posts

Natalie Neysa Alund and Nate Rau | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Here's what we know about the Antioch church shooter Police say Emanuel Kidega Samson opened fire at a church in Antioch, TN

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee man police say brazenly opened fire on a Nashville-area church Sunday morning, killing one and seriously injuring seven others, admitted to police he opened fire on the church, according to new court documents.

Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, of La Vergne, Tenn., told police during an interview that he arrived at the church at 10:55 a.m. and that he was armed with a handgun and "fired upon the church building," a police affidavit shows.

Samson, who left his vehicle running outside Burnette Chapel Church of Christ and wore a mask while wielding two pistols, was shot during a daring confrontation with churchgoer Robert "Caleb" Engle, a 22-year-old described by police as a "hero."

Prior to the shooting, Samson made several cryptic Facebook posts, one alluding to a sudden attack.

More: Nashville church shooting victim 'laid quietly and played like I was dead'

Samson, who according to his Facebook page, is originally from Sudan, wrote “Everything you've ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real. & vice versa, B.”

Two photos posted Sunday morning showed Samson flexing his muscles accompanied with the words "unrestricted paroxysm." Paroxysm means a sudden attack or violent expression of emotion.

Samson also posted on his Facebook page: “Become the creator instead of what’s created. Whatever you say, goes.”

He added, “You are more than what they told us.”

According to the affidavit, multiple witness observed Samson entering the church in Antioch with a handgun and firing randomly at parishioners.

Several people were shot before Samson was subdued, the affidavit states. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered Melanie Smith, 39, dead in the parking lot.

Multiple witnesses told police they heard gunshots from the parking lot moments before the defendant entered the church.

Samson, charged with criminal homicide, remained jailed Monday morning without bond.

More: Gunman opens fire in Nashville church; 1 dead, 8 hurt

He is due in Davidson County (Tenn.) General Sessions court Wednesday for a hearing on his case.

An early public records request yielded no criminal record for Samson.

Nearly three months ago, he sent a troubling text to his father: "...I have a gun to my head..."

In addition to the suicide incident, Samson also had two domestic disputes in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with a woman that resulted in calls to police, but no arrests, police documents reveal.

According to a Murfreesboro Police Department report June 27, Samson's father called police after he received the texts from his son.

Police went to Samson's Murfreesboro apartment, but he wasn't there, according to the report. Police pinged his phone, which indicated he was in Nashville. Nashville police were notified.

Domestic violence reports

In January, Samson's girlfriend called Murfreesboro police to report a domestic dispute with Samson.

According to the Jan. 29 report: “They argued in her bedroom and at one point he turned away from her and punched a small TV on her desk, breaking it. He also broke a small figurine. His hand was cut when he punched the TV and there was blood on the floor,” Murfreesboro Police Officer Hayley Alden reported.

The woman declined to obtain a warrant for the vandalism, which had an estimated value of under $1,000.

Another report involving the same girlfriend was filed by a police officer in February.

At that time, Samson reported that the woman arrived at his apartment uninvited and began banging on his door to gain entry. When he tried closing his door, "she tried to push the door back open," according to the report filed by Officer Benjamin Leibach. "He stated that he was in fear because she has struck him in the past."

Both parties reported that no threats or assault were made in that incident.

Police say a motive in Sunday's shooting is not immediately known.

The mass shooting occurred shortly after the service ended. In the chaos, many of the 42 churchgoers screamed while some ducked under church pews and others pretended to be dead.

Families unite after the shooting at the church in Antioch Families unite after the shooting at the church in Antioch

Church minister Joey Spann shouted for congregants to run.

But most were senior citizens. "They didn't make it out," said Minerva Rosa, who was inside the church during the attack.

Police said Samson is a legal U.S. resident but not a citizen. He moved to the U.S. in the 1990s, police spokesman Don Aaron said.

Members of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ did not recognize Samson on Sunday because he wore a mask, but later told police he used to attend church services there.

"He actually had attended this church a year or two years ago," said Aaron. "They said he hasn't been there in quite a while. They couldn't be more definitive on that, but they actually knew him."

Among those injured were the pastor, Spann, and his wife. In addition to being a pastor, Spann teaches Bible classes at Nashville Christian School and coaches the school's middle and high school girls basketball teams.

Contributing: Holly Meyer, Joel Ebert, Natalie Allison and Anita Wadhwani, The Tennessean; Mariah Timms and Scott Broden, The (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Daily News Journal. Follow Natalie Neysa Alund Nate Rau on Twitter: @nataliealund and @tnnaterau