Taking a gun to church may seem prudent -- you never know when someone may get a little frisky with the offering plate or tragically misunderstand Jeremiah 50:25 -- but it has been known to backfire.

In Kentucky, a man accidentally shot his mom during a wedding, reports WPSD.

Church pianist Jeanine King said "My initial reaction was, 'Oh my goodness. Could that possibly be a gun?' Then my next thought was, 'Gosh, who's in the church with a gun?'"

Who? Well that would be McCracken County detective Cory Golightly.

Golightly, who may be related to a Truman Capote character, was adjusting his jacket during the wedding ceremony when a gun fell out and discharged, according to a fireman who is also a custodian at Bardwell Baptist Church in Carlisle County.

The gun is not one issued for use by the sheriff's department, said the McCracken County sheriff.

The detective's mom, who was not identified, was hospitalized and is in stable condition. The news article doesn't tell us who was getting married or why the detective felt a gun was necessary in church.

Golightly is on paid leave pending an investigation by Carlisle County investigators.

As you likely know, Georgia, in 2014, enacted a law making it legal for those with a carry permit to take guns into churches, bars, school zones, government buildings and other places.

"People who follow the rules can protect themselves and their families from people who don’t follow the rules,” said Gov. Nathan Deal at the time.

Too bad those trained and paid to carry weapons -- Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill and Peachtree City Police Chief William McCollom , for example -- don't follow the rules.

Maybe those with less gun training will have fewer shooting accidents. Moms, girlfriends, wives and children certainly hope so.

More news I found interesting:

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC