It can happen. Yes, even in California.
What am I referring to?
Mass shootings. Or, at least, attempts at mass shootings.
That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about today: what appears to be an attempted mass shooting at a Catholic church in California that, thankfully, was averted due to the quick thinking of an off-duty police officer. Joseph Mackinnon writes,
An off-duty detective thwarted what had all the makings of a potential church massacre last week in Sacramento.
Brian Girardot Jr., 20, dropped off a younger relative at St. Mary Parish School on Wednesday morning, then allegedly returned around 9:30 a.m. when St. Mary Catholic Church was in the process of holding an all-school Ash Wednesday Mass next door.
Mackinnon continues:
One of the parent observers, an off-duty detective, intercepted a suspicious man who approached the front of the church and claimed that he wanted to enter and attend the Mass.
According to Hale, the parent observer “located and removed a loaded firearm, concealed on the man’s person.” The observer then detained the suspect until officers from the Sacramento Police Department arrived on the scene.
Mackinnon also notes that law enforcement found notes referencing suicide and violence against others at the suspect’s home.
Especially with those notes, if you’re familiar with the types of letters left behind by mass shooters, this sounds an awfully like it could have been an intended mass shooting.
Now, aside from what appears to be the horrible intention to hurt other people, especially children, why would he want to do something that terrible where his younger sibling was?
Details about the situation have been rather limited, so I don’t have answers to that question.
It disturbs me to think that he might have been intending to kill his sibling along with who knows how many innocent children.
Thankfully, though, the off-duty police officer prevented any issues.
His situational awareness may have saved countless lives. Knowing that, how aware are you of your surroundings at any given time?
Remember, we have to recognize the threat before we’re able to stop it. Situational awareness is the precursor to self-protection, so you should be practicing it constantly.
