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Mississippi Church Cancels All In-Person Events Wednesday After Shooting Threat

Brown Missionary Baptist Church
Thomas R Machnitzki (thomas@machnitzki.com), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brown Missionary Baptist Church (BMBC) in Southaven, Mississippi, canceled all in-person activities Wednesday, June 15, after a man threatened to “shoot up” the church.

“Out of an abundance of caution, our campuses were temporarily closed today due to a potential security threat,” said the church in a statement on its social media. “All BMBC staff, volunteers, students and other personnel are safe and were never in any danger. The Southaven Police Department is currently on the scene at both campuses to ensure there is no further threat to our church. All IN-PERSON meetings, rehearsals and practices are cancelled TODAY, June 15 as a precaution.”

Brown Missionary Baptist Church Receives Shooting Threat

According to the Southaven Police Department (SPD), Brown Missionary Baptist Church got a call just before noon Wednesday from a man who threatened to “shoot up” the church “at a specific time.” 

“Officers and detectives responded and began to assess the scene,” said the department in a statement. “The specific details of the response will not be disclosed.” Investigators identified a suspect at the scene and took him into custody. He was “charged with making a terroristic threat and also has a warrant for contempt of court,” said SPD, which increased the police presence in both of Brown Missionary Baptist Church’s locations. The SPD statement continues:

The Southaven Police Department would like to thank Brown Missionary Baptist Church for their assistance and patience during the course of the investigation. The Southaven Police Department would also like to thank the public for their understanding during this sensitive time.  We are mothers and fathers as well, and we would like to put out as much information as we can during the active scene.  However, this would not be prudent, or safe for the officers on scene.  The Southaven Police Department will continue to use any and all resources to protect our children, and the citizens of Southaven.

A Facebook user named Lindy Covington Reynolds commented on the SPD’s statement, saying, “Put him away for life!!!! There are children in that church every day for school and daycare! They deserve to be safe!” 

User Steven F. Sanders commented, “As one of the parents on scene that interacted with the responding officers, I would like to commend and thank the Southaven Police Department for their professionalism and duty to the parents like myself who were obviously beyond concerned for our children’s well being. We thank you all for everything you did today with all we have.”