Abbeville Churchgoers Stop Teen From Opening Fire During Mass

Matt Vespa | May 15, 2024 7:30 PM

In Abbeville, Louisiana, a church massacre could have been this week’s top story. It likely would have been a catastrophic mass casualty event. St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church was live streaming its service last Saturday when Father Nicholas Dupre was interrupted blessing the Eucharist.

He directs parishioners to sit down and begins to pray, with much attention directed toward the church's back. A teenager reportedly armed with a rifle was allegedly trying to enter the church. This was a First Holy Communion ceremony for some 60 kids. Luckily, churchgoers stopped the teenager from committing the attack (via KADN):

A tragedy was narrowly avoided at an Abbeville church this weekend, where a teen, dressed in black and armed with a rifle, was stopped by parishioners from getting inside where dozens of children were making their First Communion.
The chaos in church was captured on a livestream of the service at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, where 60 children were making their First Holy Communion.
The video shows that 48 minutes into the service, a man approaches Father Nicholas Dupre and whispers something in his ear.
Father Dupre stopped what he was doing, then told everyone to sit and he started praying the Hail Mary.
[…]
Abbeville Police Chief Mike Hardy said his office was contacted about the incident around 10:35 a.m. Police then descended on the church, even on the altar, where altar servers ran to safety and clergy crouched behind the altar.
According to witnesses, the teen, who was dressed in black and armed with a rifle, was confronted by parishioners, escorted outside, and placed under arrest.
Witnesses also told News 15 that police were concerned there could have been another person with guns inside the church, so officers went in for a sweep.
"We did apprehend a young man,” one officer told parishioners inside the church. “He is in custody. Calm down and get next to your child and just go slowly."