A Georgia pastor recently shared his story of being shot by his cousin following a family funeral in Jacksonville. The pastor, named McGauley, had been discussing the topic of heaven and hell with his cousin, Keshawn Nesmith, when things turned violent.
The arrest report obtained by Action News Jax states that the conversation between the two men turned to violence, leading to McGauley being shot on January 7th on Melson Avenue.
McGauley spoke about the incident, saying, “For one, I hate that it happened.” He added that he had no idea that the conversation would end tragically. He also stated that he believed Nesmith was not in the right frame of mind at the time of the shooting.
McGauley explained that he had tried to change the topic of conversation to football, but Nesmith persisted. After a family member asked Nesmith to leave, McGauley says he was approaching him when he saw Nesmith reach behind his back. He then heard two pops, leaving him with many questions.
“I couldn’t understand why you would have a gun, and it’s nothing but family. We went to a funeral,” says McGauley.
Nesmith is now facing several charges, including attempted murder. Despite this, McGauley says he has forgiven his cousin. “I forgive him for two reasons, one that’s my cousin and the other reason I’m a man of God,” says McGauley. He added that he believes the justice for Nesmith’s actions is between him and God.
McGauley is currently recovering from injuries to his leg and hip. He shared that he will not be able to use his left leg for at least three months and that his healing process will take up to nine months. Nesmith’s next court appearance is set for January 19th at 9 am.
Source: WSB-TV
