Robert Fidley Smith, 70, of Birmingham, was sitting alone at a dinner at Stevens Episcopal Church when he suddenly opened fire on three elderly people in attendance with a pistol. He stopped only after another churchman hit him with a chair, pushed him to the ground and took the gun. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau had given Smith a warning letter in February 2018 following an “on-site” compliance check at his home on Sicard Hollow Road, AL.com reported, citing a joint investigation by The Trace and USA Today on how ATF monitors arms dealers and manufacturers. Smith, who worked as “Original Magazine 2”, gained attention after not recording the sale or disposal of a firearm in seven days. The 70-year-old was an arms dealer who allegedly got involved because he did not record arms sales. Jefferson County Jail / AP And while there were 86 guns in hand, a search of the two stores found ATF records stating that Smith’s list showed 97 firearms and that he “failed to record his mood.” [the] firearms. “ No one in the church seemed to know Smith, and the motive is unclear for Thursday’s killings of Walter Rainey, 84, Sarah Yeager, 75, and Jane Pounds, 84, who died of her injuries the next day.
