Louisiana parishioners stop teen armed with rifle from entering first Communion Mass

Michie · May 12, 2024

incident at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana

As parishioners and police respond to the threat of an armed intruder, clergy at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana take cover behind the altar on May 11, 2024. | Credit: St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana

Quick action by alert parishioners and local police are credited with averting a tragedy at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana, yesterday.

As 60 children were preparing for their first Communion, the parish located south of Lafayette, Louisiana, reported that an armed “suspicious person opened the back door.”

“The individual was immediately confronted by parishioners, escorted outside, and the police were called,” the parish indicated in a statement.

In an interview with the Acadiana Advocate, Abbeville Police Chief Mike Hardy credited parishioners for having disarmed the suspect and having him already pinned to the ground when police arrived.

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