Coptic Christian Priest Slain with Machete by Suspected Islamic Extremist

-Islamic extremist stabbed the bishop in the side, neck and skull
-The extremist used the bishop's blood to form a cross on his forehead
-A piece of paper was found in the killer's pocket saying, "the mission is done successfully."

Reports have it that a Coptic Orthodox bishop Samaan Shehata from Upper Egypt was slain outside Cairo, Egypt on Sunday. The assailant struck Bishop in the head, neck and torso with a machete in the El Salam area near El Marg District on the outskirts of Cairo.

45-year-old Shehata who was visiting from his Church of St. Julius Akfazi in Ezbet Girgis village, in Beni Suef Governorate, was waiting for another priest, the Rev. Beimen Moftah, when Islamic Extremist Ibrahim accosted and macheted him - Stabbing him in the neck and torso near the Virgin and Bishop Shenouda El Daeiry church.

The wounded and heavily bleeding Shehata fled on foot into the warehouse, according to security camera footage obtained by El Youm el Sabe News agency, which shows the assailant following with the machete.

The killer, Ahmed Saeed Ibrahim, walked calmly out of the warehouse after killing Shehata, according to security camera footage. Captured by people on the street and now in custody, Ibrahim had reportedly approached Shehata wielding the large knife while the bishop was waiting for another clergyman in his car.

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Ibrahim, who neighbours say was a Muslim who had been "radicalized" a year ago. Since then, Ibrahim had begun praying in the street, shouting loudly and calling Christians infidels (and threatening them).

"The murderer had seen Shehata in his car, forcibly stopped him, ordered him out and then started to stab him in the neck and torso," Police eye witnesses report said. "Shehata fled, and the attacker followed him into the warehouse and finished his attack there with several blows to the head."

However, Shehata's driver, identified as Gerges Kamel, said the bishop had gotten out of the car to retrieve his cell phone at the warehouse when the Islamic Extremist stopped him and stabbed him in the side, neck and skull. Kamel said the assailant used the bishop's blood to form a cross on his forehead.

Kamel said the bishop was alive for over 30 minutes afterwards but that an ambulance didn't arrive the scene until almost 2 hours later.
"An ambulance didn't arrive (the secene of the attack) until one-and-half hours after the assault," Kamel said. Adding, "the bishop was alive for over 30 minutes after being struck and could have been saved if the ambulance had arrived timely."

A piece of paper was reportedly found in his pocket saying, "the mission is done successfully."

A preliminary autopsy reportedly showed the cause of death to be blows to the head with a long knife (machete), causing a longitudinal deep crack in the skull and internal bleeding in the abdomen.

Area residents said on social media that the suspect was known for insulting numerous Christians, picking fights with them and physically assaulting them. Christians made several complaints to police, which were largely ignored, according to local reports.

Ordained a priest in 1999 and promoted to bishop in 2001, Shehata served at Church of St. Julius Akfazi. He had worked for years to obtain a permit to construct a church building for his parishioners, who otherwise met in a small room of an association building, with most of the worshippers standing in the street. Recently the bishop found a 1,000-square-meter site on which to build, and he was reportedly in Cairo to collect donations for the building. Local press reported that residents had filed 18 police statements objecting to his church building plans.

Another Priest stabbed by another Islamic Extremist on the same day

A 67-year-old Egyptian priest, simply identified as the Rev. Mikhail Melad Tawadrous, of the Arch Angel Michael in Qoft, Qena Governorate, was seriously injured on the same day by another Islamic Exremist.
The Muslim exremist who also sells vegetable, reportedly attacked Tawadrous with several dangerous weapons, leaving him with cuts on his hand, bruises on his chest and blood in his lungs.

And according to reports, when the priest called out for help, bystanders reportedly encouraged the suspect, Saad Mohamed Mahmoud Hassan, to kill him. Hassan had been jailed 12 for years before, and a few days before the attack, he had insulted another priest. Authorities reportedly tried to persuade Tawadrous to drop charges, claiming that the attacker is mentally ill, and the priest refused. Hassan was held for questioning and released.

According to a 2016 research by Michael Izady about 90% of Egyptians are Muslims and only 10% are Christian.