An Alabama pastor whose grandson is accused in the horrific killings of his wife and four children chronicled what happened in the immediate moments before and after the deadly shootings.
The Rev. Allan Kendrick, who along with his wife Gay leads Oasis of Praise church in McCalla, addressed the quintuple homicide during his sermon Sunday.
Kendrick’s grandson, 32-year-old Brandon Allan Kendrick II, is charged with five counts of capital murder. The charges are four counts of capital murder of a child under the age of 14, and one count of capital murder in the slayings of two or more people in one act.
Killed were Brandon Kendrick’s wife of six years, 24-year-old Kelse Kendrick, and their two children Kaleb Kendrick, 6 and Kynli Kendrick, 2. The couple’s niece and nephew, Haley Daniels, 6, and Colton Daniels, who would have turned 9 on Tuesday, were also killed.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family pay for the estimated $50,000 in burial costs.
“I’ve had a few people call (and say), ‘Pastor, you can’t preach Sunday. You can’t get up and preach Sunday with what you’ve been through and what’s going on with you. It’s going to be too hard,’’’ Pastor Kendrick told the congregation.
“No, when heard this, ‘I will look into the hills from which cometh my help,’’’ he said. “My help cometh from the Lord.”
“What I’m doing right now, I’ll get criticized for,’’ he said. “I’m supposed to be mourning. I’m supposed to be grieving. I’m supposed to be incapable of doing anything. I should be at home with my blinds pulled.”
The shooting happened at the home of Pastor Kendrick. His grandson and family lived in the garage apartment on the West Blocton property.
The large, close-knit family earlier that day had gathered at the home of Bill Morrow, Kelse Kendrick’s grandfather, for a pool party to celebrate Colton.
Brandon Kendrick did not attend Colton’s party.
The plan, said cousin Shannon McCoy, was for Kelse Kendrick and all four children to spend the night at Morrow’s home after the party. Haley and Colton’s mother, Jessica Morrow, had surgery planned for the following day and Ke lse Kendrick was keeping the children since Jessica Morrow – her aunt – had to be at the hospital early Friday morning.
Brandon Kendrick repeatedly called his wife, telling her to come home.
Ultimately, McCoy said, Kelse Kendrick agreed to return home. Jessica Morrow took Kelse Kendrick and the four children back to the garage apartment.
