The teenager who was arrested during a First Communion at an Abbeville church told parishioners who confronted him that he heard someone was coming to attack the priest and he came to help.
The statement, which you can read by scrolling down, was posted today on the Facebook page of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, where a 16-year-old was arrested Saturdayafter he was removed from the vestibule and disarmed by parishioners.
The young man came into the church vestibule, where he encountered a woman and her small children. She saw a handgun on his hip and told him he couldn't come in. Another parishioner came in the door, escorted the teen outside and took his gun, the pastor states.
He initially said that he heard a "disturbed person" had come to attack a priest, and so he came to protect the priest. That's why law enforcement swept the church, looking for further threats, the pastor writes.
"No one knew his intentions at that time," the priest wrote. "He initially said that he had learned there was a disturbed person who was planning to come to Mass to attack a priest. The suspect said he had come to stop this attacker."
Here's a statement issued by the Diocese today:
"The sixty children who were to receive First Holy Communion were seated as a group in the front pews of the church, closest to the altar, while their families were seated behind them in the other pews. Parishioners with smaller children and babies who needed to take a short break from the Mass and were standing in the back of the church were the ones who first noticed the suspect approaching. He was dressed all in black, including a black hoodie pulled up over his head, and was wearing a mask, when the temperature outside at the time was in the mid 80’s. You can find out the exact sequence of events in the attached updated statement we are releasing now. In addition, the church is built on top of a small hill, which requires those entering to climb two sets of outside stairs. Parishioners confronted the suspect, overpowered him and held him until police arrived on the scene, which was approximately a minute later. Fr. Louis Richard, pastor of St. Mary Magdalen, spoke to the children at Vermilion Catholic School this morning and local counselors from the community have been on campus all day to help the children."
The statement referenced above is the one posted by the priest on the church's Facebook page this afternoon.
No one was injured, and law enforcement will make the decision as to what happens next to the teen, the pastor writes in his Facebook post. In the meantime, he asks for prayers for the church and her community.
"Our compliments and gratitude go out to those who put themselves in harm's way to respond swiftly to ensure safety," the pastor wrote. "We are extremely grateful that no one was physically injured as we hope to move forward towards healing as a community of faith."
Here's the post:
