Pastor shot hours after praying at Ted Cruz rally

An Idaho pastor was shot yesterday hours after he led a prayer rally for Ted Cruz.

Tim Remington (left) bows his head while praying for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on SaturdayTwitter / Peggy Lorenzo

Tim Remington was found with multiple gun wounds outside Altar Church in Coeur d'Alene, where he is pastor. The gunman had waited for Remington while he conducted his services and fled before police arrived at the church parking lot.

Remington's nephew Matthew and fellow church members said he was shot four times in the back while walking to his car.

Police later identified Kyle Odom, 30, as a suspect. He is still on the run and was last seen driving away from the church in a silver Honda Accord.

The attack came the day after Remington spoke at rally for Ted Cruz who is second in many polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

The motive for the shooting is under investigation and it is not clear whether it was linked to Remington's support of the Texas senator.

"Our prayers are with Pastor Tim, his family, and the doctors who are supervising his care," Cruz campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told NBC News. "We pray for his full recovery and are thankful for the efforts of law enforcement to ensure the attacker is swiftly brought to justice."

"We just want to be here for everyone in our congregation. Be here for our pastor. We are going to go to the hospital and wait for the word to make sure he is okay," said one church member according to CBS News.

"He opens his home to people. He takes them in and lets them live in his home," another church member said. "All the people society has turned their backs on, he goes out and he reaches out to them."

Remington is understood to be in a critical but stable condition.