An Oklahoma man, aged 66, who wanted to “make church great again” has been apprehended and charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest in Kansas. The suspect, Gary Hermesch, was arrested last Thursday for the alleged murder of 57-year-old Arul Carasala. The incident occurred outside the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory in Seneca, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).
The KBI reported that the shooting took place on the afternoon of April 3, in the 400 block of Pioneer Street, approximately 200 miles northeast of Wichita. The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and the Seneca Police Department responded to a 911 call around 2:50 p.m. reporting gunfire at the church.
Upon arrival, first responders found Carasala outside the rectory with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics from Seneca EMS quickly transported him to the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, Carasala succumbed to his injuries shortly after reaching the hospital.
The Kansas Highway Patrol assisted in securing the scene. Hermesch, a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was taken into custody by deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Seneca Police Department. He was subsequently booked into the Nemaha County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann confirmed Carasala’s death, describing the incident as a “senseless act of violence” that deprived the church of a “beloved priest, leader, and friend.” He praised Carasala’s dedication and zeal, noting his more than twenty years of service to the Archdiocese, including his role as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region.
According to KSNT, a Topeka NBC affiliate, Hermesch had penned several letters to The Courier-Tribune newspaper expressing his admiration for former President Donald Trump and his dissatisfaction with the church’s direction. Between January 2021 and March 2024, Hermesch reportedly wrote to the newspaper at least six times. However, none of his letters specifically mentioned Carasala or the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Hermesch is currently detained in the Nemaha County Jail with a bond set at $1 million. His preliminary court hearing is scheduled for April 15.