Family, community mourn beloved pastor who was shot and killed in Compton
COMPTON, Calif. - When speaking from his Compton pulpit, Reverend Joe Reginald Moore would fire up his congregants.
On Sundays, he would teach Sunday School and then it would be time for church services. In those moments between the two scheduled evens, investigators say he walked to his car across from the center and was shot and killed.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Compton pastor gunned down in possible gang-related attack
On this dreary day after one of the worst days of her life, Moore’s first cousin Christine Peggese says, "I couldn’t sleep last night because this is unbelievable… this is very heartbreaking, ya know?"
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The church is called "The Upper Room Christian Faith Center Church" and Peggese is calling out the bad guys.
She says, "You’ve killed a pastor. You didn’t kill a normal guy just hanging around a liquor store. You killed a beautiful man that had a family, that had grandkids and it was the pastor of the church."
Detectives say what happened here doesn’t appear to have been random. It looks, they say, like the minister was targeted, but it’s early in the investigation. They’re still trying to gather information on whoever pulled the trigger.
Says Peggese, "All I can say is the Devil’s busy. The Devil’s very busy." Peggese says after not seeing her cousin for several years he asked her to come to church this past weekend, but when she got there the words she heard weren’t about prayer…but pain. "And, he just kept yelling they killed Reggie; they shot Reggie; they shot Reggie." She adds, "And, I hope they catch the guy - whoever did it and they go straight to Hell. I’m sorry excuse my French, but it was wrong."
Moore’s daughter Daney says her dad was a character, funny, liked to tease, overprotective…taught Sunday school and the name of God was always part of his conversation.
To the shooter or shooters Christine Piggesse and other family members have three words: "Turn yourself in."
A GoFundMe page has been launched for the grieving family.
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