By Victor Ochieng
Marcus Donald, 31 was arrested on Easter for carrying multiple firearms to church, according to the Memphis police department. The incident took place on a Sunday morning and ended without any fracas.
At 11 a.m. during the service, police officers were alerted that church security spotted a man in the congregation armed with several guns. Thanks to the quick response by church security and the police, Donald was arrested and no one got hurt.
“We are thankful for the diligence of our security and the Memphis Police Department,” said the Director of Communication Services at the Bellevue Baptist Church, Jim Barnwell.
The police took him into custody and he’s being evaluated for mental illness. He was arrested for Emergency commitment which basically means “the only time a mentally ill person can be taken into custody solely for being mentally ill.”
It’s reported that in one of his statements, he told the police that “people are a threat to him and he must be vigilant.”
On that Easter Sunday morning, Donald had on him “a loaded 40 caliber Beretta in the pocket of his pants and a 300 Blackout Assault Rifle in a back pack” as reported by the MPD. In addition, he also carried extra ammunition with him.
The people who gathered in the church for Easter Sunday prayers were about 4500, according to Barnwell. Thinking of the extent of damage and death such an armed man could do in such a large church is what has had many church officials and members saying security in churches is no longer an option but a necessity.
Rev. Anthony Self, a Chief Operating Officer at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, reiterated these thoughts to FOX13, saying it’s very necessary to have security in churches.
“In the years past, it would have been optional to have church security,” he said. “Now it’s becoming mandatory because everybody that comes through the door doesn’t have the best intent.”
The folks at the Bellevue Baptist church were happy they safely made it out of the church unscathed, understanding the potential danger they faced. They expressed their gratitude to God and the security officers via a Facebook post: “Earlier this morning an armed man came to Bellevue’s property. Memphis Police responded and arrested the suspect. Nobody was injured. Praise the Lord for His protection and for a great security team!”
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