Police have apprehended a 41-year-old man who allegedly brought explosive devices to a midweek service at Full Gospel Church in Michigan City, Indiana, and had allegedly been making threatening statements toward a parishioner.
Matthew Schutz was taken into custody at the church after a woman who had a protective order against him alerted police on the evening of March 11.
The woman warned police that Schutz drives a red truck, and the truck was in the church parking lot when officers arrived.
Schutz was already in the building.
The incident occurred as the church was preparing to hold its Wednesday night service. Schutz had allegedly claimed that he was going to shoot a parishioner.
Schutz initially attempted to flee but was captured. When police apprehended Schutz, they reportedly found five explosive devices on his person.
Police subsequently found more explosive devices at Schutz’s home. The Porter County Bomb Squad assisted in the search.
After searching Schutz’s phone, investigators said that Schutz had sent threatening messages to several people, including the woman who called the police.
In an interview with police on March 12, Schutz reportedly admitted to making the threats, which he said were made in a moment of anger. He also reportedly admitted to having the knowledge to construct explosive devices.
Michigan City Public Information Officer Captain Kevin Urbanczyk expressed gratitude that Schutz was taken into custody without anyone being harmed.
“It’s actually very rare that we deal with cases involving explosive devices, but it’s not completely uncommon,” said Urbanczyk. “We were able to make an arrest and contact the Porter County Sheriff’s Office for assistance to help take custody of those items.”
“Everything worked out almost like a textbook,” he added. “The fact that we were able to get the call so quickly while this person was en route to the church helped us to respond much quicker.”
