strange incident in church yesterday

[smyrna]

Midway through the service, the side door to the sanctuary opens up and there stands a mid-twenty something white male that has as shocked a look on his face as the few of us who saw him. After a wierd look he closes the door. Now my wife who is definitely not anti-gun but lacks the interest to be involved with firearms leans to me and in a concerned tone says, "You packin'?" (She's slowly beginning to realize...) Two ushers immediately get up and are out the back door to invetigate. After the service I talked to them and they say that he was leaving in a car by the time they made it outside. Now in hindsight this guy was probably not a threat...but the whole incident causes me to think as I am a people watcher and curious of others by nature.

My observations...
1. This guy was in a pair of jeans and a black short sleeve t-shirt with black ball cap turned backwards (Fred Durst look-a-like for you Limp Biskit fans), and was holding a cup of Starbucks Coffee. Odd! It was about 30 degrees out and the nearest Starbucks is 25 miles, so he must have been passing through???

2. He was definitely not there to attend the service as he acted as if he didn't expect to see people in the sanctuary on a Sunday morning. Maybe he didn't realize the door entered into the sanctuary??? Looking for a bathroom??? Maybe he was looking for something to steal???Although he wasn't at the door long, he did manage a wierd look of disgust before closing the door.

3. I find this last part unbelievable...Only a few people even saw the guy. This happened during a very quiet time in the service, and the sound of the door opening was very noticeable, yet most were oblivious. Even the pastor who was probably closest to the set of doors did not see the guy. WOW!

Anyway, in the wake of the Colorado incident, I couldn't help but second guess this guy.

[longtooth]

Very good observations & the reason churches should have a response plan.

[seamusTX]

Ya never know. Probably mentally ill or intoxicated. Maybe he didn't know what day of the week it was.

The Starbucks cup may have been his customary way of carrying booze, picked up long ago.

The majority of people are remarkably unobservant. Your situational awareness speaks well for you.

Nearly all church shooters have been disaffected members or former members of the congregation. The only incidents that I can recall of strangers cutting loose in a house of worship involved anti-Semitic bigots and synagogues.

- Jim

[smyrna]

Ya never know. Probably mentally ill or intoxicated. Maybe he didn't know what day of the week it was.

The Starbucks cup may have been his customary way of carrying booze, picked up long ago.

Yeah, I'm thinking he was looking for a bathroom and/or coming off a hard Saturday night. But, he definitely looked perturbed about something after his "deer in the headlight" look faded.

[WarHawk-AVG]

Stay vigilant...perhaps he wasn't expecting so many people

[KD5NRH]

Were any other churches in the area doing something special that day? He might have been expecting something other than a normal Sunday service, and realized he was in the wrong place.

Given that it was Lee-Jackson and MLK day weekend, there might have been a special lunch or music service that he was trying to find, and I've seen a few churches that don't look as poorly on inappropriate dress as they used to.

[smyrna]

Were any other churches in the area doing something special that day? He might have been expecting something other than a normal Sunday service, and realized he was in the wrong place.

Given that it was Lee-Jackson and MLK day weekend, there might have been a special lunch or music service that he was trying to find, and I've seen a few churches that don't look as poorly on inappropriate dress as they used to.

Who knows?

I just know he wasn't there to sing in the choir.

[DrKyle1]

When I lived in SA, I had the pleasure of serving on our security team for the church. We would deal with "visitors" like that every once in a while. You would be surprised how many people are oblivious of their surroundings when in a "safe" place! The church I attended was a bit different...the pastor would receive death threats frequently and we would have some big names come to visit our church & do talks. I am not going to mention the church or my pastor but he was progressive enough to know that he needed an armed security force at the church both off duty SA PD in uniform & private plain clothes.

[smyrna]

Our church is in a rural community but we have our share of strange "visitors". Within the past year, we had a group of gothic teens and twenty somethings that would frequent the church grounds and be seen doing strange things such as walking the center line of the farm to market roads as cars slowed to keep from hitting them.

Around this same time, some of the church playground equipment was damaged and the church paintballed. And, it just so happens that one Sunday morning I found the gothic "creatures" on the kids playground equipment as I arrived at church later than usual. I walked over, told them we had had problems with people damaging the kids equipment and I insisted that if they wanted to hang out that they should join me for the service. They were taken aback and actually came inside for worhsip service, but scooted at the first opportunity after a few minutes. After the service, I inspected the playground equipment to find that it had been vandilized with graffiti that would violate the 10 year old daughter rule. Belt sanded it off.

I grew up in the country and used to roam the woods and neighboring farms of the community from sun-up to sun-down when I was a kid. I still live in the country but wouldn't dream of letting my kids do the same. It's sad to realize that we live in a different day and age.

[numist]

...I inspected the playground equipment to find that it had been vandilized with graffiti that would violate the 10 year old daughter rule. Belt sanded it off.

Every so often we find that a mindless person has taken spray paint to the playground across the street from our house or the stop signs, fences or other surfaces. A neighbor let us in on a neat and useful trick.
Next time you are near a 'dollar' store, look for their cheapest carburator cleaner in their automotive section. Spray it on the graffiti and wipe... it's gone! We keep a few cans on hand just in case the brain-challenged return to scribble on things around here. If you wipe off the graffiti as soon as it appears, it usually won't return any time soon.

[KD5NRH]

If you wipe off the graffiti as soon as it appears, it usually won't return any time soon.

Trace it out in pencil before you clean it off, then repaint it afterwards in Barbie pink, with a big happy daisy after the gang graffiti. Bonus if you can add Hello Kitty or My Little Pony flashing a few gang signs among the other stuff.

[casingpoint]

No doubt a methamphetamine user on a roll and stroll. They'll steal anything and everything.

[jbirds1210]

Pray that he finds his way back to a service soon (for the proper reasons).

I can't find anything wrong with me praying with a full grip on my concealed pistol It would not be the first time and likely not the last.

I hope that your church does have some sort of response plan.

Jason

[longtooth]

jbird is right.
We have had several invited in & given a seat right on the front row w/ one of our folks setting right beside them. We really do onat them to be converted. That is all that will change their wrecked & ruined lives.

[pharvey]

In 1994 I showed up at my current church with a shaved head, huge goatee and even more problems. Jesus changed me forever. People loved me issues and all. I've been a staff minister for three years now. I'm greatful people welcomed me even before I looked the part. I did however have security and ushers greeting me and spending a great deal of time around me. I was amazed how friendly the were. Now in hindsight I see how smart they were. I was never a threat but you couldn't tell that by looking at me. We have to balance security and love. James 1 says Ask Him and He will give you wisdom. (PHV)

PHarvey