Tulsa Sheriff Wendell Franklin said:
“Police officers responded to a call for help from the downtown cathedral around 4 p.m. after a man attacked a church worker with a sword. He set fire to incendiary devices and attempted to burn down the church. There are children at the site, all unharmed. We apprehended the man a short time later at the corner of 71st and Sheridan Streets after he rioted a store by threatening to detonate a device. This is still an active investigation by the Landmine Squad, Tulsa Fire Police and federal authorities. We are working with our federal partners on the losses and will share more information as we can.”
The vicar of the cathedral, Father Gary Kastl, said the servant in the attacked church was Ron Notzon. Father Kastl said Mr. Notzon confronted the suspect and noticed the injuries on his hand.
Father Kastl said a man carrying an ice chest approached the front of the church and tried to enter. After realizing the door was locked, he walked down the alley between the school and the church.
“During this time, students were on the front steps of the Church to take pictures. We express our gratitude and appreciation to the faculty and staff who responded quickly and immediately moved students inside the school. The entire school was immediately put on lockdown and remained that way until local law enforcement cleared it."
According to Father Kastl, it seems that the suspect lit something on fire and threw it on the side of the church, damaging some of the windows.
The suspect was arrested around 5:30 p.m., about an hour and a half after the incident happened.
Father Kastl said the church will offer Mass for Notzon's healing at 9 a.m. Thursday and will have priests, deacons and counselors ready after Mass at 11:30 a.m.
“We invite the community to come, pray and heal with us,” Father Kastl said, as reported by WTUL.
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catholic