Murder of Indian-American Catholic priest Arul Karasala

Indian-American Catholic priest Arul Karasala was shot and killed in front of his home.

A Catholic priest was shot and killed on Thursday, April 3, according to reports. Arul Carasala, an Indian-American Catholic priest from Seneca, a town in northeastern Kansas, had served in Kansas for more than 20 years when he was shot three times in front of his home by an unknown assailant.

Orwell, originally from India, was ordained as a priest in 1994 and became a U.S. citizen in 2011. He began serving at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in 2011. The church announced in a statement on its Facebook page that Rev. Orwell died hours after being taken to the hospital.

State police officials announced that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the crime and an investigation into the murder has been launched, but they have not released further details about his identity or the motive for killing Reverend Orwell.

Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Nauman confirmed the news of Father Arwell's murder in a post on social media, writing: "This senseless act of violence has left us in mourning the loss of a dear priest, leader, and friend. Father Carasala was a dedicated and passionate priest. His love for Christ and the Church was clearly evident in the way he served." Responding to concerns from church members, he assured them that there was no other threat to the church.

"What we do know is that an elderly man walked up to him and shot him three times," Chris Anderson, the church's director of education, told The Associated Press.

There is no information available about why Pastor Arvel Carasala was murdered or by whom. All we can say about this crime is that not only Pastor Arvel, but also other Christians have been murdered in such horrific ways in various countries in recent weeks that even the news of their murders has not been reported in the media and has remained a secret.