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Reverend David Dingwall |
(Scroll down for video) A beloved pastor is dead after a burning man stormed into his church, according to police reports in Maryland.
Parishioners at the church are mourning the death after the three-alarm fire killed Reverend David Dingwall of St. Paul's By The Sea Episcopal, located in Ocean City.
The man who caused the fire, has been identified as John Sterner, 56. Sterner, who later succumbed to his injuries, was covered in a flammable substance when he entered the church on Tuesday morning. The flammable substance may have helped the rapid spread of the flames, firefighters said.
Witnesses said that Sterner came to the food pantry of the church screaming for help. Sterner hugged a food pantry volunteer, causing her clothing to catch on fire. That volunteer, who is currently recovering in an area hospital, has not yet been named.
Pastor Dingwall has served the congregation of St. Paul from 2005. He left behind a wife and three children.