Article from VA-Alert Newsletter:
26. Who needs a gun in a church?
****************************************************
How about if a madman intent on murder comes in? Thanks to Bruce
Bremer for the link:
Man ignites fires inside crowded church on Lancaster Drive NE
Wednesday night; 3 injured
He is arrested after churchgoers tackle him, put out flames
DAN BENDER
Statesman Journal
October 26, 2006
A man entered the Peoples Church on Lancaster Drive during a
Wednesday evening worship service and used a burning liquid to set
fires in the crowded sanctuary, officials and witnesses said.
One woman, identified by a church pastor as Arlene Anderson,
reportedly was taken to the hospital by her husband for medical
attention to burns on her back and neck. Another worshipper sustained
burns on her clothing but was not taken to a hospital.
"We were just singing and praying, and the next thing you know, two
people were on fire," said Lissa Gordon, 25, of Salem.
Witnesses said the liquid, possibly gasoline, was igniting as it came
out of a can that the man was holding. It was not clear how the man
ignited the liquid.
Deputy Kevin Rau, a spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office,
said one man was in custody. He was not immediately identified.
Rau said the man arrived at the church at 4500 Lancaster Drive NE in
a taxi cab and threatened the cab driver with a knife. Rau said the
Salem-Keizer Yellow cab driver and the man wrestled for the knife.
During the struggle, the cab driver suffered a minor injury to his
neck.
Sam Miller, an assistant to the pastor who was attending the 7 p.m.
service, said the church's sanctuary was packed with several hundred
people when the man entered about 7:15 p.m. The man reportedly came
through a front door at the church and into the sanctuary through a
side door.
Miller, who also is a police chaplain, said the man then began
throwing the burning liquid onto pews, people and carpeting.
"He just poured this gasoline, or whatever it was, and as it was
coming out of the can he ignited it. He kind of sprayed it on people"
Worshippers said the incident happened quickly.
"When I jumped up and turned around, there were already a dozen
places on fire by the time I saw it," said Bill Gallaher, a church
staff member.
Miller said church members tackled the man and were able to get him
out of the church. Other churchgoers were able to put out the flames
using fire extinguishers or by beating down the flames with clothing
or even their hands.
"They were putting it out any way they could," Miller said. "One lady
did the stop, drop and roll method."
The fire was out before crews from Marion County Fire District One
arrived. Miller estimated that six pews and some carpeting were
damaged, but he could not estimate what amount of damage the smoke
caused.
"There was a good amount of excitement," Miller said. "People were in
a rush. People were expressing concern for one another."
Miller said the man spoke incoherently during the incident. He
described the man as OK physically after he was tackled but
emotionally disoriented.
"We're going to move forward," Miller said. "The best thing for him
is to find Jesus Christ as his Savior."
About 400 to 500 people were in the building at the time, Gallaher
said. Children were in a separate building at the time of the
incident, he said.
A Salem-Keizer Yellow Cab remained in the church's parking lot,
cordoned off by police tape. The taxi was reportedly still in gear
when the suspect threatened the driver, and the car rolled to the
side of the parking lot.
Many churchgoers inside the sanctuary were being put on local transit
buses to be transported to a Marion County facility to be interviewed
by officials, Rau said. People leaving the scene in cars were asked
to stay for questioning.
A Marion County Mobile Command center was set up in front of the
church's main entrance. At least five fire trucks from Salem Fire and
Marion County remained on the scene around 9 p.m.
Salem police also responded to the scene, although the church is
outside Salem city limits.
26. Who needs a gun in a church?
****************************************************
How about if a madman intent on murder comes in? Thanks to Bruce
Bremer for the link:
Man ignites fires inside crowded church on Lancaster Drive NE
Wednesday night; 3 injured
He is arrested after churchgoers tackle him, put out flames
DAN BENDER
Statesman Journal
October 26, 2006
A man entered the Peoples Church on Lancaster Drive during a
Wednesday evening worship service and used a burning liquid to set
fires in the crowded sanctuary, officials and witnesses said.
One woman, identified by a church pastor as Arlene Anderson,
reportedly was taken to the hospital by her husband for medical
attention to burns on her back and neck. Another worshipper sustained
burns on her clothing but was not taken to a hospital.
"We were just singing and praying, and the next thing you know, two
people were on fire," said Lissa Gordon, 25, of Salem.
Witnesses said the liquid, possibly gasoline, was igniting as it came
out of a can that the man was holding. It was not clear how the man
ignited the liquid.
Deputy Kevin Rau, a spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office,
said one man was in custody. He was not immediately identified.
Rau said the man arrived at the church at 4500 Lancaster Drive NE in
a taxi cab and threatened the cab driver with a knife. Rau said the
Salem-Keizer Yellow cab driver and the man wrestled for the knife.
During the struggle, the cab driver suffered a minor injury to his
neck.
Sam Miller, an assistant to the pastor who was attending the 7 p.m.
service, said the church's sanctuary was packed with several hundred
people when the man entered about 7:15 p.m. The man reportedly came
through a front door at the church and into the sanctuary through a
side door.
Miller, who also is a police chaplain, said the man then began
throwing the burning liquid onto pews, people and carpeting.
"He just poured this gasoline, or whatever it was, and as it was
coming out of the can he ignited it. He kind of sprayed it on people"
Worshippers said the incident happened quickly.
"When I jumped up and turned around, there were already a dozen
places on fire by the time I saw it," said Bill Gallaher, a church
staff member.
Miller said church members tackled the man and were able to get him
out of the church. Other churchgoers were able to put out the flames
using fire extinguishers or by beating down the flames with clothing
or even their hands.
"They were putting it out any way they could," Miller said. "One lady
did the stop, drop and roll method."
The fire was out before crews from Marion County Fire District One
arrived. Miller estimated that six pews and some carpeting were
damaged, but he could not estimate what amount of damage the smoke
caused.
"There was a good amount of excitement," Miller said. "People were in
a rush. People were expressing concern for one another."
Miller said the man spoke incoherently during the incident. He
described the man as OK physically after he was tackled but
emotionally disoriented.
"We're going to move forward," Miller said. "The best thing for him
is to find Jesus Christ as his Savior."
About 400 to 500 people were in the building at the time, Gallaher
said. Children were in a separate building at the time of the
incident, he said.
A Salem-Keizer Yellow Cab remained in the church's parking lot,
cordoned off by police tape. The taxi was reportedly still in gear
when the suspect threatened the driver, and the car rolled to the
side of the parking lot.
Many churchgoers inside the sanctuary were being put on local transit
buses to be transported to a Marion County facility to be interviewed
by officials, Rau said. People leaving the scene in cars were asked
to stay for questioning.
A Marion County Mobile Command center was set up in front of the
church's main entrance. At least five fire trucks from Salem Fire and
Marion County remained on the scene around 9 p.m.
Salem police also responded to the scene, although the church is
outside Salem city limits.