Church locked down
CRANBERRY TWP — A township church was placed on lockdown early Wednesday after a man allegedly made reference to mass shootings during a service there.
However, officials at Victory Family Church said steps to involve law enforcement were taken out of “an abundance of caution” and operations were unaffected.
Edwin G. Leech, 43, of Zelienople is charged with making terroristic threats causing the evacuation of a building, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and defiant trespassing. Wednesday's incident occurred while Leech was free on bond and awaiting trial in Peters Township, Washington County, where he faces charges of strangulation and simple assault.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Leech entered Victory Family Church on Route 19 around 6 a.m. Wednesday while a prayer meeting was taking place.
The complaint states Leech sat in the back, away from other attendees. It notes he is not a member and had never been to the church before.
Leech began asking “suspicious questions” about the church, including where the pastors were. He then allegedly “began making a scene, questioning the speaker.” Security attempted to escort him out and he refused, becoming angry and yelling about “being the second messiah.”
When confronted by a security officer, Leech allegedly said, “This is how mass shootings happen, I have mental problems,” and sat down. The complaint does not specify whether Leech was in possession of a weapon.
The church was placed on lockdown until police arrived, and the complaint states it was then evacuated.
John Nuzzo, senior pastor at the church, said police were called out of “an abundance of caution.” He said about 100 people were in attendance at the prayer meeting, and only four spoke with Leech. The rest, he said, were unaware the incident was taking place.
Leech was found at the front of the church when officers arrived, and allegedly told officers he made the statements about mass shootings because he wanted to “teach them a lesson” on how to treat people. He said he was an “expert” on mass shootings because he “studies them a lot,” according to the complaint.The complaint notes Leech was “talking in circles” about religion and his upbringing, and admitted taking medication for mental health issues. The report further notes Butler County Crisis did not wish to pursue commitment for Leech after speaking with him.Leech was taken to the police department, where he allegedly began yelling at officers while they discussed possible charges. Leech did not have identification on him, and arrived at the church on a motorcycle registered to a different person. Additionally, the address he gave does not appear to have a home at the location, according to the complaint.Leech was arraigned Wednesday morning and placed on $50,000 monetary bond. A Sept. 6 preliminary hearing is scheduled.Nuzzo said the church has security on hand for all events, and its goal is never to engage in a confrontation. When security deemed Wednesday's incident to have the potential to escalate, they contacted police.Nuzzo stressed that operations were unaffected Wednesday, and the church remains safe. He noted no direct threats were made to parishoners, and no weapons were found.“There is no risk in coming here,” he said.The Washington County incident for which Leech is currently awaiting trial occurred in April, and a $25,000 monetary bond was set at that time. A non-jury trial was tentatively scheduled for October in that case, but in July Leech requested a jury trial instead.However, following Wednesday's bond hearing resulting from the incident at Victory Family Church, court documents indicate a non-monetary condition was applied.
