A First Communion service in Louisiana erupted in panic when a 16-year-old armed with a rifle attempted to storm the church through a back door.
But parishioners spotted the teen and swarmed him — holding him outside until police arrived and arrested him.
The terrifying scene unfolded at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville — which was full of parents with young children who were there for the rite of passage in the church.
The incident was streamed live on the church’s website Saturday morning as Fr. Nicholas G. Dupré led the faithful in prayer from the altar.
In the dramatic video, parishioners seated at pews toward the front of the church can be seen nervously glancing behind them as the commotion began about 48 minutes into the service.
Seconds later, an unidentified man wearing a suit approaches Dupré mid-sentence and whispers something in his ear, at which point he calmly asks the room to join him in reciting the Hail Mary.
The scene grew louder and more chaotic as the prayer echoed through the crowded chamber, punctuated by screams from some of the approximately 60 children there to receive their First Communion.
Amid the uproar, altar boys nervously stepped into view from the elevated sanctuary behind the priest to gawk at the disruption as the clergy knelt behind the communion table — appear to take cover.
At least two armed officers can be seen in the footage — including one with a rifle — as they swept the church for additional threats. Parishioners began scooping up their children and vacating the church as an unidentified man’s voice came over the loudspeaker urging parents to “just get a hold of your child” and slowly exit the building.
“We did apprehend a young man, he is in custody, he is in police custody, calm down and just get next to your child and go slowly,” the speaker implored the crowd as the church was evacuated.
The suspect, only identified by police as a 16-year-old white male, was interviewed by officers and transported to Abbeville General Hospital Behavioral Unit for medical evaluation, Abbeville Police Chief Mike Hardy wrote in a statement on Facebook.
“The person was confronted by parishioners and escorted outside. Upon arrival, Officers arrested the suspect and placed him in custody. Officers with the Abbeville Police Department and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office made a sweep through the church to ensure there was no additional threat and confirmed that no one was injured.”
The teen is being charged with terrorizing and two counts of possession of a firearm by a juvenile, police said Sunday.
“First Communion was proceeding as normal and then police came in with their guns drawn,” Liz Touchet, who was attending the Mass, told local outlet KADN.
“People started running to get their kids and we were told to get down.”
In its own statement, the church said the incident “understandably caused panic” and expressed gratitude towards both police officers and parishioners for “acting quickly to ensure the safety of all.”
They also invited all First Communicants to return for their First Holy Communion at the Mass of their choice over the weekend.
Abbeville is a small community of around 11,000 residents located in the south of the state approximately 150 miles west of New Orleans.
