UPDATED July 16, 2021: Gabriella “Gabby” Shepherd, the wife of a pastor who was shot and killed on July 12, 2021, has been released and not been charged “at this time” in the shooting of her husband, Noah Shepherd.
“There was just no indication that anything was other than good,” said Erik O’Dell, who attended seminary with Noah Shepherd, to NBC 7. “They just welcomed their second boy not too long ago.”
Gabby Shepherd was arrested following the shooting of her husband, which she allegedly claims was an accident. San Diego County District Attorney’s Office public affairs officer Tanya Sierra said, “We are not filing charges at this time. The investigation is ongoing, and we will review the case as we get more information.”
ChurchLeaders original article written on July 14, 2021, below:
A church community in southern California is requesting urgent prayers after its pastor, the father of two children, was shot and killed Monday evening. Noah Shepherd, the 29-year-old leader of San Diego Reformed Presbyterian Church, died after allegedly being shot by his wife, 26-year-old Gabriella “Gabby” Shepherd.
Authorities say Gabby Shepherd called 911 to report accidentally shooting her husband when he entered their Lemon Grove house through the back door. Emergency personnel found Noah injured in the back yard, and he later died at a hospital.
Gabby Shepherd was taken into custody and is being held without bail. She awaits arraignment on Thursday and faces a first-degree murder charge. Police haven’t revealed a motive or additional details, and they’re requesting tips from the community as the investigation continues.
Noah Shepherd’s Church Community Mourns
Noah Shepherd’s congregation, located in San Diego’s Rolando neighborhood, belongs to the Pacific Coast Presbytery. On Tuesday, the presbytery issued an “urgent prayer request” on the RP (Reformed Presbyterian) Global Alliance website and expressed “heartbreaking sorrow over the passing of our brother and fellow-laborer.”
The statement continues, “We will remember Rev. Shepherd for the hope of the gospel message he not only preached but believed. We mourn, not as those without hope, but as those eagerly awaiting eternal life. This was Noah’s hope, and we rejoice that he is with his crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ, whom he loved and proclaimed. Out of respect for the grieving, we ask on behalf of the family and church members that they be permitted to grieve in peace.”
After studying at Providence Christian College and then Westminster Seminary California, Shepherd was ordained in November 2020. Pastor Nathan Eshelman, who preached at the ordination service, describes Shepherd as “brilliant, a true scholar of the Bible…a godly man, a good dad and husband, and extremely humble.”
Friends Are Raising Funds for Noah Shepherd’s Funeral and Family
A Caring Bridge page has been set up to share information with Noah Shepherd’s loved ones. The administrator writes that “Noah Shepherd was taken from his earthly home” just days before turning 30. Ahead of the memorial service, which is pending, people are encouraged to provide sympathy notes and Scriptures “to bolster this dear family and congregation” as they grieve.
