Man Arrested After Bringing Gun to Orthodox Service in Washington State
Police say parishioners intervened after threats were made inside the church.
ELLENSBURG, WA — Law enforcement officials say a potential mass shooting was prevented Sunday afternoon after an armed man entered Prophet Elijah Orthodox Church while services were taking place. The parish is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
According to investigators, about 50 people were gathered inside the church when 27-year-old Alexander Mueller of Moses Lake arrived carrying a handgun. Court documents obtained by the local CBS station state that concern escalated after Mueller’s wife allegedly made statements threatening to shoot individuals inside the building.
Church members, most notably a retired law enforcement officer and off-duty officer, reportedly stepped in and intervened before the situation could escalate further. Authorities were contacted and responded to the scene.
“This was very close to a mass shooting,” Deputy Prosecutor Robert Porter said to the Daily Record. Porter also noted that a parish priest "had been at the couple’s home on Friday to give a blessing and noticed concerning behavior."
During a subsequent search of Mueller’s SUV, officers discovered a fully automatic AR-15 rifle along with dozens of rounds of ammunition, police said.
Alexander Mueller. Photo: yoursourceone.com
The wife, who told police she suffers from mental health disorders and was not taking her medication, was taken to a hospital for evaluation. "She also said she felt like demons often controlled her, and was 'manipulated by government entities that use her body to carry out operations,' reporting from the Daily Record states.
Mueller told authorities he had armed himself in case he needed to protect his children while traveling to his parents’ home. He was later taken into custody and booked into the Kittitas County Jail, where he is being held on $1 million bail as the investigation continues.
Previously, the UOJ reported that a Florida man was arrested after a false bomb threat at a Greek Orthodox Church.
