A man with a shotgun was blocked from entering a Pennsylvania church filled with black worshipers because it was packed Sunday – allegedly preventing a possible planned mass shooting.
Jeffrey Harris, a 38-year-old white man from Ambridge, had a “handwritten script” for the shooting stored in his home, which was also caught in the dark, and may have planned a gruesome hate crime, authorities said.
He was arrested after allegedly pointing a gun at two women when he failed to enter the Greater Dominion Church at the corner of Melrose Avenue and 4th Street during a service, WTAE reported.
When police later searched Harris’ home, they found the porch smeared with lubricant and a hole punched in the front door that would have allowed him to fire his gun at anyone who fell trying to get to the front door.
Harris, who was wearing a camouflage vest when he was arrested, “appeared ready for a standoff,” according to the criminal complaint, which also noted that suspected explosives were found in the home along with a notebook detailing the active shooting.
Police said they believe the gunman may have specifically targeted a house of worship in the African American community, “raising concerns that the man was trying to enter the church with a long gun to commit a hate crime.”
Jeffrey Harris, 38, was arrested after allegedly pointing a gun at two women on Sunday morning. Beaver County Jail
The church’s bishop, Kenneth Crumb, suggested his congregation may have been spared a possible mass shooting because of the packed conditions on Sunday morning, which prevented Harris from entering.
Had the gunman arrived earlier, the church might not have been so lucky, Crumb told the outlet.
“When you just think about how close we were to the same horrible situation we had at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, it’s like God’s grace,” Crumb said, referring to the 2018 religious hate massacre at Tree of Life that left 11 dead.
“Thank God for His grace, for protecting us, because it could have been a different way,” Crumb said.
Sunday’s terrifying incident also came a day after a white gunman killed three black people in Jacksonville, Fla., in what police described as a “racially motivated” attack near a historically black college.
“There’s been a lot of mass killings going on, there’s been shootings, especially in the African American community, people targeting our community,” Crumb said.
Officials believe Harris may have been preparing for a mass shooting at the Greater Dominion Church in Ambridge, which has a predominantly black congregation. Google Maps
Ambridge and Beaver County police said they received a call around 9 a.m. Sunday after Harris allegedly pointed a gun at two women walking in the area.
An officer quickly tracked him to a business building in the 300 block of Merchant Street, where Harris allegedly pointed his gun at police.
Once backup arrived, police arrested Harris without incident, finding him with a 12-gauge shotgun, bullets and crystal meth.
More drugs and ammunition, along with notebooks, were found at Harris’ Duss Avenue home, which she shared with her boyfriend, police said.
The boyfriend, who has not been named, was not at home, with neighbors reporting that he had not been seen for several days.
Police stated that Harris’ shotgun had recently been discharged when they arrested him and that when he was brought to Ambridge police headquarters, he made “multiple strange comments” about a dead brother.
Harris is charged with terroristic threats, aggravated assault, attempted burglary and other crimes.
He is being held in the Beaver County Jail on $975,000 bail. His initial hearing is set for September 5.
A representative for Harris could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
