Suspected shooter of US pastor arrested at White House

WASHINGTON: A man suspected of repeatedly firing at a pastor who led prayers at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was arrested outside the White House on Tuesday, authorities said.

Kyle Odom is accused of shooting and wounding Tim Remington in the parking lot of his church in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Sunday, a day after the pastor appeared at a campaign event for Cruz in the northwestern state.

He fled the scene, sparking a manhunt.

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Odom, a 30-year-old former marine, was taken into custody after he threw "unknown material" over the south fence at the White House, the US Secret Service said in a statement. A database search then revealed Odom was wanted for attempted first-degree murder by the Coeur d'Alene police and he was arrested.

Coeur d'Alene police say they believe Odom planned the attack on Remington but his motive remains unclear.

The Secret Service did not provide any details on what Odom had thrown over the White House fence, saying only that it was "determined to be non-hazardous."



NBC News, citing Coeur d'Alene police chief Lee White, reported that the material included a "manifesto" mentioning the names of US lawmakers and Israeli government officials but no specific threats.
The broadcaster also cited White as saying that Odom is believed to have an unspecified mental illness.

The shooting is one of a spate in the United States, where gun violence is responsible for some 30,000 deaths annually.