Illinois State Police have identified the man wounded during a shooting incident Sunday morning at a church in Effingham.
Authorities say 36-year-old Allen O. Gattino of St. Charles, Missouri, arrived at St. John’s Lutheran Church shortly before 9:30 a.m. seeking to speak with the pastor. Church security contacted the Effingham Police Department after reporting Gattino and a suspicious vehicle that was believed to have been stolen from Marion County.
When Effingham police officers and Effingham County sheriff’s deputies arrived, they determined Gattino was armed and attempted to secure the weapon. During the encounter, the firearm discharged, striking Gattino.
Gattino was transported to HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham before being airlifted to a regional hospital for additional treatment. His condition has not been released.
No one else was injured in the incident. The Illinois State Police continue to investigate.