Man kills catholic priest in Kansas, police arrest suspect

Police have arrested a Tulsa man for shooting and killing a Catholic priest in Kansas on Thursday April 3, 2025,

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas confirmed that Fr. Arul Carasala, the parish priest at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, died from gunshot wounds.

The church announced the priest’s death on social media, describing it as heartbreaking and tragic.

At about 2:50 p.m., someone called 911 to report gunshots at the church rectory on 411 Pioneer Street in Seneca.

Deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and officers from Seneca Police responded quickly.

They arrived within five minutes and found Fr. Carasala outside the rectory, bleeding from gunshot wounds.

Emergency medical personnel rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Despite their efforts to save him, he died from his injuries shortly after arrival.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation joined the local police to investigate the killing.

The Kansas Highway Patrol secured the scene while officers collected evidence.

Shortly after the shooting, police arrested a 66-year-old man from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

They took him into custody and booked him into Nemaha County Jail.

Police suspect him of first-degree murder but have not filed formal charges yet.

Officials have not revealed the motive behind the attack.

Fr. Carasala originally came from India and became a U.S. citizen in 2011.

He began serving in Kansas in 2004 and became pastor of the Seneca church in 2011.

His death has shocked parishioners and the entire Catholic community in the area.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall reacted on social media and expressed sadness over the priest’s killing.

He described Fr. Carasala as a faithful and selfless man who served his community well.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann praised the priest’s dedication and said the Church mourns his painful loss.

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