ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The pastors of a church struck by gunfire in Rochester Tuesday night are speaking out, after one of their parishioners was shot.

According to authorities, the 47-year-old woman was hit by a bullet around 8 p.m. Tuesday as shots were being fired outside the Iglesia Ebenezer church on Merrimac Street.

What You Need To Know

  • Police say a 47-year-old woman was hit by a bullet around 8 p.m. Tuesday as shots were being fired outside the Iglesia Ebenezer church

  • Police say she was shot in the upper body and taken to Strong Memorial Hospital

  • The pastors of a church don’t believe the church was the target, though they say this is the third time it's been hit by gunfire in three years

Eighty people were at the church for bible study Tuesday evening, when the church was hit by about a dozen bullets.

“One behind the other, it was like pew, pew, pew,” Pastor Margie Rivera said. “Something shattered, and I thought it sounded at first like firecrackers.”

Pastor Carlos Colon and his wife Margie were in their office having a meeting with another woman, who was struck by one of the bullets.

“We heard the bullets, she ducked and put her arm up and felt something warm, but didn’t realize she got shot.” Margie said.

The woman, who police say was shot in the upper body, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Margie says the woman is doing OK, but can’t feel two of her fingers. She says the worst part is day care was happening, and children could’ve gotten hurt.

“At first I was so mad, I said how could people be so heartless?” Margie said. “And I was calm, but when I saw the bullet that was going to the kid’s room, I said wow, it could have gotten one of those (kids). Thank God for the thick wall that the bullet didn’t go through.”

The pastors don’t believe the church was the target, though they say this is the third time it's been hit by gunfire in three years. But their faith remains strong.

Translating for her husband, Margie said, “He says if God put us here, it’s for a purpose. It’s not that we want to put the people in the church at risk, because we don’t know when something is going to happen. So if it’s the time to leave, it’ll be the time to leave.”

Church services resume Thursday, and Margie says it will be a message of strength and unity.

“We’re supposed to love each other. And all these years, all around Rochester, it used to be a safe place here when I came here,” Margie said. “And I love this city, but we can’t do nothing if people don’t unite.”

Police say the incident is under investigation, and ask anyone with information to call 911.