The following statement came from Sam Penrod, spokesman with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Saturday, December 4, 2021.
A missionary serving in the Alabama Birmingham Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hospitalized in serious but stable condition after he was shot multiple times on Friday evening, December 3, 2021.
Elder Michael Fauber, 18, of Dayton, Ohio, was in the Birmingham Stake Center in Vestavia Hills with two other missionaries and a group of people interested in learning more about the Church. A weekly athletic activity was being held and basketball was being played in the cultural hall. At approximately 8:30 p.m., Elder Fauber spoke with an unknown individual who came into the building during the activity. A few moments later, Elder Fauber was shot multiple times. The shooter then fled.
Elder Fauber was taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham and has undergone surgery. His parents are arriving at the hospital this afternoon. Other missionaries in the building were not physically hurt but are receiving counseling. The Church is cooperating with law enforcement and is awaiting additional details from investigators.
Our prayers are with this missionary, his family, and all the missionaries and others impacted by this senseless act of violence.
Updates
December 6. Church News reported that Elder Fauber is still in serious condition but is improving. His parents arrived at the hospital from Ohio the afternoon following the incident.
December 8. Church News reported that Elder Fauber is conscious and communicating with his family. A breathing tube prevented him from speaking, but his father, David Fauber, told Church News about an exchange he had with his missionary son.
“We were just talking about what he had been through and that he wasn’t afraid,” David said. “He asked me, ‘Am I going to die?’
“And I said, ‘I don’t think so. Are you afraid?’ He said, ‘No. I know that if I do, I know where I will go.’ That’s the amazing thing.”
December 14. Deseret News reported that U.S. marshals have arrested an 18-year-old man who allegedly carried out the shooting. They also arrested a 22-year-old man for hindering their investigation.
December 22. Church News reported that on December 12, Elder Fauber was released from the hospital and returned home to Dayton, Ohio.
His parents released a statement of appreciation for the kind acts and prayers offered on behalf of their family. They spoke of the excellent care Elder Fauber received in the hospital and called his survival and recovery “a literal miracle.”
“Just as we continue to pray for a full recovery for our son, we pray for healing for the young men accused in this crime and hope that the time will come when they will become a great credit to their families and community,” the statement said. Read more at Church News.