The “heroic actions” of a Tennessee pastor who tackled a man waving and pointing a gun during a service “saved a church from further violence,” police said.
No shots were fired during the incident Sunday at Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church in central Tennessee, Metro Nashville Police said in a statement.
Pastor Ezekiel Ndikumana was praying with several people at the altar and told everyone to get up. Then the 26-year-old man, Dezire Baganda, pulled a gun.
“He wanted to kill, that’s what first came to my mind,” said Ndikumana to local Nashville news station WKRN News 2.
Baganda waved and pointed the gun at the congregation, police said. The pastor tackled the man and then several church members helped to disarm and hold him until officers arrived, the statement said.
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The assailant was charged with 15 counts of felony aggravated assault, police said.
“I would say that God used me,” added Ndikumana, telling his congregation that their lives were always in God’s hands. “I felt the feeling that I would go and grab him, and that’s what happened … God wanted to show that he’s a powerful God.”
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5 Responses
Wow. That’s amazing. I’m so glad no one was hurt.
On a second viewing I can see that the Pastor was not in the grouping with the young man. However it seemed that the young man’s first demand was that the Church be evacuated of its congregation. To tackle him while that evacuation was underway, was fullhardy, again regards the risk of random shots in a struggle.
Colin,
That pastor saved a ton of lives. You don’t negotiate with murderers or assume they will abide by a code of conduct when they issue their twisted demands.
Tackled the guy with the gun. That’s what a good, dangerous man does. I don’t see it as foolish.
About the time I clicked on the video, five shots went off on the strert outside of my north Nashville apartment. I don’t know if anyone was hit yet. The world.