Louisiana pastor Danny Prenell Jr. is facing charges of aggravated domestic violence, disturbing a business, and disorderly conduct after allegedly shooting his wife, Gabrielle, and himself last week in a Mississippi hotel during a domestic dispute.
McComb Police Chief Juan Cloy did not explain why Prenell is not facing an attempted murder charge, according to KALB. The investigation is ongoing.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 21, police responded to reports of a shooting at the Hampton Inn in McComb, Mississippi, where Prenell, pastor of Bright Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Pineville, Louisiana, was staying with his wife and children.
Two days before the shooting, Prenell posted a picture of his family in a hotel room to Facebook, captioning the image, “I may not be a perfect man, but I’ll always be a family man.”
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Roughly 48 hours later, Prenell allegedly shot his wife twice before turning the gun on himself.
Both Prenell and his wife were taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson. Gabrielle is in stable condition. Authorities said she was shot in the abdomen and in the arm.
The couple’s children, who were reportedly present for the shooting, have been placed under the care of child protective services.
Prenell is recovering from his injuries and is in the custody of the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
This is reportedly not the first time Prenell has been accused of domestic violence. In 2016, Gabrielle filed a “petition for protection from abuse” against Prenell. In the petition, she alleged that Prenell acted violently toward her, physically abused her, and even pointed guns at her and threatened to kill her.
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“I fear for the life of myself and my unborn child,” the petition said.
