(FeaturedHeadlines.com) Almost 60 children escaped a possible tragedy as a teenage gunman trying to enter a church was stopped outside.
The incident happened in Louisiana, where nearly 60 children were about to receive their first Communion in a live-streamed service.
The church stated that parishioners stopped the suspect, who was trying to enter the church through the back door. As the parishioners notified the police, law enforcement rushed to the scene.
Many local media outlets were live-streaming the service, during which a man was seen approaching Reverend Nicholas DuPré and telling him something. After listening to the man, DuPré halted the service and asked everyone to join him in prayer. This led to visible tension among the attendees as some started to scream.
A loudspeaker announcement asked parents to accompany their children, stating that a potential shooter has just been apprehended and is in custody now.
According to the Abbeville Police Chief, Mike Hardy, the boy was stopped by churchgoers and was later arrested by the police. Hardy added that the police searched the church to eliminate the possibility of any impending threat.
The boy was wearing all black clothes and carrying a rifle when he was apprehended. He was later charged with two counts of carrying a weapon, being a juvenile, and terrorizing a place of worship.
Police also noted that they inquired about the suspect who was later sent to a hospital for behavioral evaluation.
Hardy also praised the proactiveness and calmness of the church administration, which stopped what could have been a disastrous event.
Meanwhile, the children received their first-ever Communion despite the temporary halt in the proceedings, according to the church’s Facebook post. The church thanked police and parishioners for their heroic efforts that eventually averted the danger.
Moving forward, the church will start employing uniformed security officers out of “caution.”
Just a few days ago, a man in Pennsylvania tried to kill a pastor during a sermon. However, the weapon failed to discharge, which saved the pastor’s life.
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