HANCOCK COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - A minister who shot himself at a Claiborne County Middle School on Monday has been upgraded to serious condition.

Donald Williams of Rosum Town in Claiborne County worked at a home manufacturer during the week but also preached on Sundays at Martins Creek Baptist Church in Hancock County.

"Don's a good man, a good man," said church member Ruth Lane. "We don't understand what happened but it's not for us to (understand)."

Lane has been a member of the church, which has about 40 members, for several years and is broken up about what happened.

"He kinda left the church without a pastor," she said. "We love him so much. He's so precious to the church."

On Monday, Claiborne County Sheriff David Ray said Williams went to H.Y. Livesay Middle School on Highway 63 and shot himself in the chest outside the school. His wife, a cook at the school, and another employee saw the shooting.

Lane said nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary at church on Sunday and Williams preached a good sermon on "The Prodigal Son."

"Where the Prodigal son had left and come back, he was welcome to come back."

Williams's apparent suicide attempt has stunned the community.

"He's been a pillar in the community up in that end and the church, everything around here," said Jason Lemons.

"It surprised me," said Ted Carmony, whose father attends the church. "Wouldn't think don would do something like that."

Clayton Dunsmore is with the Cumberland Gap Baptist Association.
He says Williams had a full-time job and pastoral duties, which can stretch anyone too thin.

"A pastor carries a lot of weight especially a bivocational pastor," Dunsmore said. "Sometimes we get put upon a pedestal as superhuman, but we're not. We're just ordinary people."

Lane says she is praying for Williams, his family and for the church - which, she says, would welcome Williams back - just like the Prodigal Son was.

"This is the kinda church you go to that you're loved uncondtionally. Everybody loves each other. Somebody's gotta need we're always there."

Other church members said Williams and his wife have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. The Sheriff's Office said they have interviewed family members, but so far they've not been able to find a motive for what happened.

Church members say they are going to be strong for the family and pray Williams can make a full recovery