Authorities discovered a collection of notes indicating “violent incidents” at a home in California after a 20-year-old man reportedly tried to enter a Catholic church armed with a loaded firearm during Ash Wednesday Mass.
Brian Richard Girardot Jr. has been charged with possessing a firearm on school property, as stated by Eric Grant, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. According to court documents, on February 18, Girardot Jr. dropped off a younger family member at St. Mary’s Parochial School, where he had been a student in the past. He returned around 9:30 a.m. and approached the St. Mary Catholic Church/St. Louis Church grounds.
It is alleged that he attempted to join the Ash Wednesday Mass, which started at 8 a.m., while carrying a loaded weapon. Additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket were found in a vehicle nearby, as mentioned in the release. An off-duty Sacramento police detective, who was volunteering as a monitor, noticed Girardot Jr.’s actions and stepped in before anyone got hurt.
This detective managed to locate and take away the loaded handgun during the encounter and held the suspect until other authorities arrived, according to a spokesperson from the Sacramento Police Department.
As reported by CBS News Sacramento, one of the notes discovered among Girardot Jr.’s belongings seemingly alluded to violence. Furthermore, officers found a stack of handwritten notes in his bedroom suggesting potential threats against several redacted individuals.
A note aimed at three of Girardot Jr.’s relatives read, “It’s all your fault that I did this.” This evidence appears to indicate that Girardot Jr. was possibly “preparing for a violent incident,” as stated by prosecutors.
He faces charges in Sacramento County Court for possessing a firearm on school grounds and for carrying a concealed firearm. He is set to appear in court again on Wednesday, according to CBS News Sacramento.
In a post, St. Mary’s Parochial School Principal Amy Hale confirmed the arrest of a suspect accused of trying to access Ash Wednesday Mass with a weapon. She mentioned that Sacramento police are “actively investigating” the matter.
“Thanks to the vigilance of the parent volunteers, the children remained safely inside the church throughout the Mass, avoiding a potential crisis. None of the students interacted with the suspect and were unaware of what was happening outside. After the Mass, they were safely escorted back to their classrooms,” Hale elaborated in her post.
In addition to the federal charges, Girardot Jr. also faces related charges in state court, according to Grant’s release. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
