Shots Fired at Church That Invited Rapist

Shots were fired at apartments and a farm owned by the Bride of Christ Church early Friday after reports that convicted California rapist Lawrence Singleton plans to join the church.

“I’m sure this may have something to do with the possibility of Singleton coming up here,” Douglas County Undersheriff Ray Duncan said.

Convicted of raping a teen-age girl and hacking her forearms off with an ax, Singleton, 60, is scheduled to be released from parole restrictions in California on April 25.

His victim also reportedly lives in southern Oregon.

Singleton has been living in a trailer on the grounds of San Quentin state prison since his release from prison last year, because no community in California would accept him.

Deputies said four shotgun rounds were fired at a four-plex where church members live and four more rounds were fired at a church farm. The shootings took place about 3:25 a.m. No one was injured, but two windows were shot out of a church bus parked at the farm and a tractor sustained paint damage, deputies said.

On Thursday, church leader Thomas Clyde Smith Jr. said Singleton planned to join the church, despite death threats against him.

“Society wants to kill him,” Smith said. “We just want to help him.”

But Smith also said he thought that the shootings were directed at a black family belonging to the church, and were not related to Singleton. Smith added that similar incidents have occurred in recent months.