Initial news reports that Sunday’s gun attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, was a bomb explosion may have been influenced by two gunshots that came with a more-than-usual thud, a member of the church who witnessed the tragedy has told FIJ.

On Sunday, a group of terrorists clad in military camouflage laid siege to the church just as its mass ended, killing and injuring scores of worshippers.

The attack was initially reported as a bomb “explosion” without the mention of guns. Footage of the attack would later surface on social media, showing that the deaths were largely by the barrel of the assailants’ guns.

READ MORE: WITNESS INTERVIEW: Gunshots, Military Camouflage… How Terrorist Attack on Catholic Church Happened

Congregants who were also in the church auditorium when it happened also told FIJ the gunshots, aimed at innocent worshippers from the four corners of the church, lasted more than 10 minutes.

“There was no fire, no smoke; nothing in the church,” a worshipper, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told FIJ.

“There was no sign of any explosion inside or outside the church. But I understand the people saying there was an explosion: there were two particular gunshots that were so loud and maybe the attackers used pump action or something.

READ MORE: ‘They Shot at Adults, Kids Without Saying a Word’, Reveals Catholic Church Massacre Survivor

“The shots were very, very, very [sic] loud as to be mistaken for explosions, but they were not bomb explosions; I didn’t hear any.”

The congregant, though, confirmed that he “later heard someone was injured because a dynamite was used on him”. This, as of the time of filing this press report, is the only non-gun injury or death that FIJ has been able to ascertain.

Photo Credit: PM News