(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Bridgeport church is mourning the loss of one of the pillars of the congregation: 68-year-old Alva Besst, who police say was hit by a stray bullet Tuesday as he was driving on 31st Street near Halsted.
"Losing Al is incredibly hard," says Nicolette Peñaranda, pastor at First Lutheran Church of the Trinity in Bridgeport.
Besst was a parishioner and frequent volunteer who helped the poor.
"Al is the type who didn't have much of his own, but if he had something in the house that he knew he wasn't using, he would say, 'Hey, Pastor, I have these jackets. I want to bring them to God's Closet,'" Pastor Peñaranda said.
She said the church is still trying to process what happened.
Alva BesstFirst Lutheran Church of the Trinity
Best was shot as he was driving around 6 p.m. and veered into a snow pile. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police say he was not the intended target.
Pastor Peñaranda said Besst did not deserve that. No one deserves that, she said.
Fellow church member Andrew Mack posted a tribute on Facebook, saying Besst was selfless.
"He loved to talk and he loved people, though it took a while to warm up to him. I was blessed to know him, to listen to his stories. He loved to tell stories," Mack said.
A Go Fund Me page has been started to raise expenses for Besst's funeral.
