Robert Findlay Smith is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of three people at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on June 16, 2022.
The name of the suspect in Thursday night's deadly shooting at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is now known.
Jefferson County jail records show Robert Findlay Smith, a 70-year-old white male, is in custody, arrested by Vestavia Hills Police on charges of capital murder with two or more victims. While Capt. Shane Ware with VHPD said the department would not be releasing the name on their own, he confirmed Smith as the suspect. Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr later confirmed Smith was the suspect in the shooting and that he had been charged with capital murder.
Smith is being held without bond.
Law enforcement blocked off portions of Sicard Hollow Road, where Smith lived, on Friday afternoon as they executed a search warrant Ware said was related to the shooting. Smith lived at 4128 Sicard Hollow Road, and was a federally-licensed gun dealer, running a "gun shop" called "Original Magazines 2," according to records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The shop's address listed in ATF records matches Smith's home address.
According to those records, Smith has been registered as a federal firearms dealer since March 1978. Smith called himself a "master gunsmith" on a LinkedIn profile that included his name and the company's name.
In a Friday morning press conference, Ware declined to answer a question about any previous run-ins the department had with Smith, after a local reporter asked about chatter overheard on a scanner that indicated police were aware of Smith and knew where he lived and what he drove.
Smith is accused of killing three people: 84-year-old Walter Rainey, Irondale, 75-year-old Sarah Yeager, Pelham, and 84-year-old Jane Pounds of Hoover.
Smith was described at the Friday morning news conference as an “occasional attendee” of the small group and at some point, opened fire, shooting the three victims, Ware said.
Another attendee subdued the suspect until police arrived, Ware said. Ware called the man a “hero” and said his efforts were “critical to saving lives.”
The Vestavia Voice will continue to follow this story.
