Worshipers at a Louisiana church banded together to prevent a mass shooting over the weekend, and it was all broadcast live.
Chaos broke out Saturday at the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church in Abbeville during a first communion ceremony for 60 second-year students. Police say a 16-year-old boy carrying a gun opened the back door of the crowded church and was immediately confronted and escorted away by parishioners.
Panic can be seen filling the crowd during the livestream of the ceremony. The altar servers ran for cover and the clergy hid behind the altar, while the priest tried to calm everyone down by asking them to say a prayer.
Officers in tactical gear arrived moments later to ensure the church was safe. No one was injured and the 16-year-old was arrested and taken for a mental health evaluation.
The incident in Louisiana occurred a week after a man attempted to shooting a Pennsylvania pastor while on duty. Video of the alleged shooting shows the moment the man’s gun jammed as the deacon dove over a bench and attacked him.
“I was just trying to avoid him shooting me, because he pointed it right at me, and I’m just looking down the barrel of a gun,” Pastor Glenn Germany told CBS News.
Pennsylvania shooter Bernard Polite said he heard voices. He was arrested and charged with the murder of his cousin earlier today.