“He got born again. His life was changing. He decided to get married. He changed the music he was making and wanted to sing songs that highlighted his testimony,” Johnson said of Castleberry. “It’s gut-wrenching. It’s horrendous. It’s evil. It’s wicked.”
Police have not commented on whether the shooting is believed to be gang-related. Johnson sees the killing as an assault on the church.
“This was an assassination at a church in broad daylight in front of other church members, who are there for the purpose of community and a worship service,” Johnson said. “I do believe that [the assailants] were trying to send a message to the church at large and to religious folks in particular, like, ‘We kind of own this city.’”
On Sunday night, Pursuit Church held a prayer vigil for Castleberry, and hundreds were in attendance.
“It broke my heart,” one church attender told Fox 13. “It broke everybody else’s heart.”
“It’s beautiful to see us all come together, stand together as a community, even in a tragic time when most people would be scared to come to a place like this,” said another.
In addition to the $50,000 reward, Pursuit Church has launched a fundraiser to help Castleberry’s family.
RELATED: ‘You’ve Got To Forgive’: Michigan Church Reopens 1 Week Post-Shooting
“God is close to the broken-hearted, so we wanted to be the hands and feet of God extended in this circumstance,” said Johnson.
