(CNN) -- A gunman killed three people and injured as many as 10 others when he opened fire in the sanctuary of church in southwest Missouri on Sunday, a city official said.
"He stormed in during the service and started shooting," said Desiree Bridges, a public information officer for the city of Neosho, Missouri, which is 250 miles west-southwest of St. Louis, Missouri.
A call came into police shortly before 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) saying someone was shooting in the First Congregational Church, a largely Latino congregation, Bridges said.
When the police arrived, the shooter was holding 25 to 50 people hostage inside the church, she said. A hostage negotiator spoke with the shooter for 5 to 10 minutes before police apprehended him, she said.
Three firearms were found, Bridges said.
The suspect is related to a member of the congregation and is being held at the Newton County Sheriff's Department pending charges, she said.
The wounded were transported to area hospitals by ground and air, she said.
A news conference has been scheduled for Monday at 10:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. ET) at the Neosho Recreation Center.
