A Tennessee pastor who also served as the vice president of Independent Baptist Online College committed suicide a day after he was charged with aggravated sexual battery of a minor family member.
A statement from the Columbia Police Department cited by FOX 17 in Nashville said on Wednesday, Sept. 11, David Baker Sr. walked into a bathroom at Maury Regional Hospital shortly after bonding out of jail for aggravated sexual battery of a child younger than 12, and shot himself in the chest.
Baker Shot Himself in Hospital Bathroom
Maury Regional Hospital confirmed in a separate statement that when the shooting happened at approximately 12:45 p.m., the hospital "was immediately placed on lockdown."
"It was discovered that an adult male entered the ED, did not seek medical treatment, and proceeded directly to the public restroom where he administered a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest, discharging the weapon twice. The ED staff initiated life-saving medical treatment; however, he succumbed to his injuries," hospital officials said in their statement.
Baker was Charged with Sexual Battery a Day Before His Suicide
According to Main Street Maury, Baker was booked into the Maury County Jail on Tuesday and charged with one count of aggravated sexual battery. He was released Wednesday on a $200,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 9.
Baker ran for Maury County mayor in 2022 and filed a defamation lawsuit that year against eventual winner, Sheila Butt. The case, which highlighted the suicide of a former colleague of Baker's, was later dismissed.
A cached webpage of the pastor's bio, which has since been removed from the church's website, lists him as an Army veteran who attended Hyles-Anderson college. It notes that he had pastored for more than 18 years at the time of his death, and he proudly names his wife and 11 children.
