KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said Thursday that a priest in north central Kansas was shot and killed.
In a social media post Thursday afternoon, the Archdiocese said Fr. Arul Carasala, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kansas, died Thursday.
A Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said their agents responded to Seneca, which is about two hours northwest of the Kansas City area, to assist the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office in a homicide investigation.
At 2:50 p.m., a 911 call was placed reporting shots fired at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory at 411 Pioneer St.
Five minutes later, deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Seneca Police Department arrived and discovered Carasala outside the residence suffering from gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel arrived and transported Carasala to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries despite life-saving measures.
Kansas Highway Patrol troopers responded and helped secure the scene, authorities said.
Shortly after, Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office deputies and officers from the Seneca Police Department took a 66-year-old man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, into custody.
He was booked into the Nemaha County Jail on suspected first-degree murder but has not yet been formally charged.
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R - Kansas) reacted to the death of Carasala on X (formerly Twitter).
I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Father Arul Carasala due to a senseless act of violence.
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) April 4, 2025
I am praying for Father Carasala’s family, friends, and parishioners as they grieve. We must find who did this, and justice must be served. https://t.co/KITOAxdEdP
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
