ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Isaac Hunter, an evangelical pastor who was the son of a spiritual adviser to President Obama, apparently committed suicide in Florida, police said. He was 36.
Altamonte Springs police said before Hunter shot himself at his apartment, he sent a text to his brother mentioning suicide, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The brother alerted police, who found Hunter dead of "what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Altamonte police officer Rob Pelton said. "It's being investigated as a suicide."
The exact contents of Hunter's text to his brother were not released, the newspaper said.
Hunter, a co-founder of the non-denominational mega-congregation Summit Church in Orlando, quit as lead pastor in November 2012 after admitting he had an affair with a church secretary, and filed for divorce from his wife Rhonda this past October.
His wife had previously filed a domestic-violence petition against him and accused him of having drug and alcohol problems, the Sentinel said.
They had been married since 1999 and have three children.
Hunter was the son of Joel Hunter, a megachurch pastor who has been a spiritual adviser to the president since his 2008 campaign. Joel Hunter was an adviser to the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, CNN reported Tuesday.
"By now you may have heard that our former senior pastor, Isaac Hunter, died today," the Rev. Jeff Kern wrote on Summit's website. "As I write these words, it is hard to express the deep sorrow we as a staff team are feeling for this tragic loss.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rhonda, their three children and their extended family. We love them and it is our desire to support them in any way we can during this difficult time," Kern continued.
