A church security team at a Louisiana Catholic church thwarted an ham-fisted attempted spree shooter Saturday morning. Cops say a 16-year-old perp, armed with a gun, walked in a back door during a first communion service for about 60 second graders. Within moments he was confronted and “escorted” out by church security members. The sanctuary was overflowing with church members, the second gradeers, and their extended families at the time.
Live-streaming cameras caught the events from inside the sanctuary.
Within a couple of minutes after the security team escorted the armed teen out of the building, local law enforcement swarmed the facility and took the would be attacker into custody. News reports say the suspect earned himself an involuntary mental health evaluation.
Given the lack of a shots fired, it would seem that the teenager didn’t have the stomach for an exchange of gunfire with the armed good guys. Or maybe he had other issues. Either way, the incident proved the value of having a robust, well-trained and drilled church security team.
First the video from the sanctuary.
This report is from CBS News . . .
Congregants at a Louisiana church banded together to prevent a mass shooting over the weekend, and it was all caught on a livestream.
The chaos erupted Saturday at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Abbeville during a first communion ceremony for 60 second graders. According to police, a 16-year-old boy carrying a gun opened the back door of the packed church and was immediately confronted and escorted away by parishioners.
Panic can be seen sweeping over the crowd in the ceremony’s livestream. Altar servers ran for cover and clergy ducked behind the altar, all while the priest tried to calm everyone by asking them to recite a prayer.
Officers in tactical gear showed up moments later to make sure the church was safe. Nobody was hurt, and the 16-year-old was arrested and taken for a mental health evaluation.
First and foremost, one of the single best ways all churches can help secure their facilities during services is to limit access to a single entrance.
Fortunately in this case someone noticed the young man approaching the back door with a gun and mounted a hasty response. If the door had been secured, it would have given church members more valuable time to react and respond. It would also have given other members of the security detail an opportunity to begin a hasty evacuation of the sanctuary at the same time.
This attempted attack comes on the heels of another incident in a Pennsylvania church last weekend in which a man tried to kill a pastor in the middle of a service. The attacker’s gun jammed and church members were able to take him down and hold him until police arrived.
One Response
Will they suppress his writings, internet searches, and any known thoughts on the matter because he’s a minor, or because it’s “still under investigation?” Mass shootings/attempted mass shootings are only big stories when they think they can link it to right wing extremism. That means they don’t care about violence and victims. They only care about power.
Remember that black immigrant that wanted to kill white people in retaliation for the Charleston shooting? Why wasn’t that a huge story?
A review of Samson’s Facebook account also revealed sympathies, interest and possible ties to black nationalist groups, such as the New Black Panther Party and the Nation of Islam. Samson’s Facebook photo page included a picture of the raised fist featuring the eye of Horus (e.g. Egyptology) which is a well-known black power symbol.
Why isn’t the media constantly reminding people about that lady that tried to shoot up a church with ‘Palestine’ written on her rifle?
Why aren’t Democrats and the media talking about all of these attacks on churches? Remember when Lefty Canadians cheered when people began attacking churches over the fake news mass graves story?