NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A man accused of fatally shooting a woman and wounding seven people at a Nashville church is heading to trial.
Prosecutors have said they’re seeking life without parole for 27-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson, whose trial is slated to begin Monday.
Samson faces a 43-count indictment, including a first-degree murder charge, in the September 2017 shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ .
An arrest affidavit says Samson waived his rights and told police he arrived armed and fired at the church.
A psychiatrist has diagnosed Samson with “schizoaffective disorder bipolar type” and post-traumatic stress disorder after an abusive, violent upbringing.
Samson is black and the victims are white. Authorities haven’t definitively said whether they believe he targeted them based on race.