JACKSON — A 63-year-old pastor of a small Jackson church was killed and robbed Sunday morning as he opened the doors to his church, a Jackson TV station reported.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart confirmed to WLBT news that 63-year-old Anthony Finch Longino was killed while opening the doors to New Bethany Church on Hill Avenue. A sign outside the church identified Longino was the church’s pastor.

The shooting happened at approximately 9 a.m. Sunday, just an hour before Sunday School was to have been held and two hours before Longino would have taken the pulpit.

Longino was found by Jackson police laying outside the church where he had been shot.

His 2018 Dodge Ram truck had been stolen by the shooting suspects, police told WLBT.

Jackson police searched a residence on Pecan Boulevard Sunday afternoon after receiving a tip that someone in the house had information about the shooting, but found no one at the house.