Alabama pastor wrestled gun off his 'murderer' grandson minutes after mom and four children were massacred at home - as family reveal his worsening mental state

An aged pastor wrestled a weapon distant from his grandson aft he allegedly gunned down his woman and 4 young children.

Brandon Allan Kendrick, 32, faces 5 counts of superior execution aft nan mass shooting astatine his grandfather Allan's spot successful agrarian Alabama.

His woman Kelse Kendrick, 24, was recovered dormant alongside their boy Kaleb, six, and Kynli, two, and their cousins Colton, eight, and Haley Daniels, six, connected Thursday night.

Kendrick suffered from schizophrenia and family explained to DailyMail.com really his intelligence authorities worsened successful nan weeks earlier nan massacre.

'Kelse and her children person been victims of domestic violence for years,' 1 family personnel said, claiming he had a history of not taking his medication.

Kendrick allegedly gunned down his family astatine nan car shed flat they lived successful connected Allan Kendrick's spot successful West Blocton, astir 40 miles southbound of Birmingham. 

Allan told Kelse's grandfather Bill Morrow really he stumbled upon nan crime and confronted his grandson, according to a speech recounted to Daily Mail.com by Kelse's uncle Eli Morrow.

The 71-year-old was watching TV successful nan main location pinch his woman Gay Kendrick erstwhile he heard what sounded for illustration a gunshot and went to investigate.

'Brandon came astatine him pinch nan gun, and he fought it distant from him. Then he walked complete [to nan house] and recovered retired what happened. So they were arsenic amazed arsenic everyone else, they didn't expect it,' Eli said.

'Brandon said, 'Why did you hit maine up?' and Allan told him what he had done… and he conscionable said, 'Oh'.'

All 5 were recovered dormant pinch gunshot wounds to their heads, different than Haley, who was still breathing and rushed to hospital, but did not survive.

Kaden was nan past unfortunate and changeable extracurricular nan car shed apartment, perchance while moving for his life, which is really Allan heard nan gunfire.

'Allan said nan doorway was knocked disconnected its hinges, almost for illustration she had locked him retired and he collapsed nan doorway down earlier shooting them. I'm assuming they were having immoderate benignant of argument,' Eli said.

Allan, who is nan lead pastor of Oasis of Praise Church successful adjacent Bessemer, called 911 astir 8.18pm, and past sewage connected nan telephone to Bill.

'Bill, you request to get down here, Brandon has changeable Kelse each nan kids successful nan head,' family said Allan told him.

Bill and his girl Jessica, who is Colton and Haley's mother, rushed to nan spot but recovered it cordoned disconnected by constabulary erstwhile they arrived astir 9pm.

Eli said nan statement was held astatine family patriarch Bill Morrow's location up of Colton's ninth day connected Tuesday.

Kendrick was astatine not astatine nan party, and his schizophrenic episodes had worsened complete nan erstwhile 2 weeks truthful overmuch that Kelse's family hadn't seen her successful that time.

'He sewage to a constituent wherever he couldn't activity afloat time, truthful location were financial problems from that, and she was having to return attraction of nan kids and him truthful she couldn't activity either… which conscionable made it worse,' Eli said.

'Things were getting very difficult each nan measurement around... she was doing her champion to beryllium a supportive wife.

'The 1 clip she gets distant aft things had been truthful difficult for her, he wanted her backmost home.' 

Kendrick's family was trying to get him connected disability, which would person lessened nan financial burden. 

Kendrick struggled pinch schizophrenia and different intelligence wellness issues since he was nine, and had a history of not taking his medication.

'My past speech pinch my girl was astir his medication,' Kelse's stepfather Joey Hammitt said, adding Kendrick was seeing a doctor.

Kendrick exhibited concerning behaviour successful nan the days earlier nan massacre, including connected Thursday greeting erstwhile he sewage his hairsbreadth cut.

'Brandon Kendrick was conscionable astatine our hairsbreadth salon and sewage his haircut. We person trim his children's hairsbreadth too,' 1 worker astatine a Great Clips barber wrote online.

'He was acting very depressed my coworker asked him astir his family, but conscionable shook it disconnected assuming he was going done a unsmooth separation.

'Goes to show you ne'er cognize what is going connected successful someone's head.' 

Kelse's relative besides noticed 'off' behaviour from Kendrick erstwhile nan mates went into nan vape shop she worked astatine connected Wednesday. 

There was besides a marked alteration successful Kelse's societal media activity complete nan past year, changing from speaking successful glowing position astir her husband, to appearing progressively unhappy.

She shared a video connected June 26 captioned: 'Manipulation is erstwhile they blasted you for your guidance to their toxic behaviour but ne'er talk their disrespect that triggered you.'

Another video 1 nan aforesaid time was labeled: 'If you're upset because you person to fto spell of personification you love, perceive to this.'

Two minutes earlier she reposted a video of a female saying, 'I show group each nan time, erstwhile they're like, ohio you're truthful strong. I'm like, but I person to be... I wanna beryllium fragile.'

A 4th image read: 'No 1 talks astir nan guilt you consciousness erstwhile you yet determine to time off personification you really emotion because they perpetually wounded you and don't want to change.'

Yet different video featured a man detailing 'a man playing nan unfortunate successful his life will opportunity these things to his wife'.

On May 2, Kelse complained she had to take sides herself because nary 1 other was.

'I consciousness for illustration surviving present they deliberation I'm crazy erstwhile I spell disconnected but I don't care, gotta get your constituent crossed someway aliases everlastingly beryllium ran over,' she wrote.

April 20 included a video captioned 'when my hubby tells maine to driblet nan cognition that I don't really have' and connected March 5 she shared a agelong station that began 'This is for anyone who has suffered from an abusive and narcissistic relationship.'

Earlier posts past twelvemonth included a segment from HBO play The Bear pinch a characteristic saying 'I consciousness trapped'.

Kelse's 'cry for help' posts were a marked opposition shape earlier posts praising Kendrick.

'Happy Birthday to my champion friend I emotion you truthful much!! Here's to different year,' she wrote past February pinch a group of happy photos.

In September 2022, Kelse celebrated their day pinch a saccharine tribute.

'Happy Anniversary to my personification 6 years agone I fell for you and 4 years agone coming we said everlastingly and ever passim everything we person stuck together broadside by broadside and 6 difficult years and 2 beautiful babies later present we are pinch everlastingly and ever to go! I emotion you truthful much!' she wrote.

On Valentine's Day that twelvemonth she wrote: 'Thank you for being nan man that you are coming and an astonishing daddy to our babies! I wouldn't waste and acquisition you for nan world and I'm blessed to telephone you my valentine.'

Kendrick's Facebook bio chillingly read: 'Living life & loving my awesome woman and kids.'

Eli's woman Brittany Morrow explained that nan massacre followed a last-minute determination by Kelse to springiness successful to Kendrick's demands 1 past time.

'All of nan children were expected to walk nan nighttime astatine [Bill's] home,' Brittany told DailyMail.com.

'Brandon many times begged and pleaded pinch her to travel location and she gave in… wrong an hr they were each changeable successful nan head.'

Brittany explained that Colton and Haley's mother Jessica Morrow, 35, was having awesome room nan adjacent morning, truthful location was nary action but to nonstop them pinch Kelse.

'We unrecorded 45 minutes away. I wish to God they had asked america to return them for nan night,' she said.

'What we are struggling pinch nan most, is that it was a last-minute determination to return them complete there, it was ne'er successful nan scheme because they knew he had been acting crazy.'

Kelse's car was surgery down truthful Jessica dropped each 5 of them disconnected astatine location connected Green Tree Drive astir 7pm.

Kelse is Eli's niece by his older sister, who has since died, and Bill's grandfather, and nan Morrow and Kendrick families person been intertwined for generations.

Eli had custody of Colton and Haley from January 2021 until past November, erstwhile a judge allowed them to return to Jessica.

'Jessica yet sewage her kids back, and past this happens,' Brittany said.

'I americium devastated and destroyed... Eli and I had afloat custody of them for almost 3 years and they were my babies.'

Police rushed to nan segment and arrested Kendrick aft discovering nan bodies, Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said.

'It's perfectly horrible. It's unimaginable what nan family is going through, what nan friends of nan family are experiencing, what nan organization is emotion correct now,' he said. 

'It was conscionable a horrific segment that moreover seasoned officers told maine it is nan worst point they've ever seen.

'As officers are going, they are saying location are much children that person been shot.' 

Wade said Kendrick was yet to show constabulary why he did it, but 'I don't cognize what motive he could springiness america that would warrant what he did anyway'. 

Kendrick was booked into the Bibb County Jail astir 3.30am and denied bail.

He is charged with four counts of superior execution of a kid nether 14, and 1 count of superior execution successful nan sidesplitting of 2 aliases much group successful 1 act.

Oasis of Praise Church held a dream vigil pinch much than 300 members connected Friday night, saying proceeds from nan postulation sheet would spell to nan families.

'Pastor wanted america to relay to each those asking if they tin do anything: 'Tell everyone asking if they tin do thing that they tin beryllium astatine religion Sunday astatine 10am',' nan religion wrote connected its Facebook page.

'The religion has committed to helping nan families pinch expenses. If you would for illustration to beryllium a portion of this effort, please springiness your aid to nan church's benevolence fund. 

'All donated money will beryllium directed towards nan needs of nan families involved.'

Eli Morrow besides started a GoFundMe page to thief salary for nan funerals, pinch his woman explaining nan family didn't want nan ceremonial astatine Allan's church.

'None of nan family consciousness comfortable having it there, he's offered to person them cremated and person a memorial astatine his church, but nan family has declined,' Brittany said.

'But we started nan fundraiser because we're trying to fig retired really we're going to salary for 5 funerals.'