Rev. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral, best known for its weekly Hour of Power broadcasts, was home to a suicide by one of its own leaders.
Johnnie Wayne Carl, 57, music director at the 10,000-member church in California, shot and killed himself in a church bathroom on Dec. 17. Carl, a native of Missouri, was an internationally known conductor and composer of over 3,500 pieces, and had worked with Celine Dion, John Tesh, and the London Symphony. He was a member of the church for nearly 30 years. He suffered from depression.
Carl fired about four random shots the previous evening. Police arrived shortly after, while the husband and father of three locked himself in his office. Police tried to convince him to come out, and eventually forced entry. Carl retreated to another room, where a single shot was fired. Police found Carl dead at 2 a.m.
Amy MacLachlan
