Hero protects church full of kids: Off-duty cop disarms gun-toting suspect in Sacramento

An off-duty detective thwarted what had all the makings of a potential church massacre last week in Sacramento.

Brian Girardot Jr., 20, dropped off a younger relative at St. Mary Parish School on Wednesday morning, then allegedly returned around 9:30 a.m. when St. Mary Catholic Church was in the process of holding an all-school Ash Wednesday Mass next door.

Amy Hale, the principal of the school, indicated that "all church doors were locked per our standard procedure" and "parent observers were positioned outside and inside the church."

'F**k you die!'

One of the parent observers, an off-duty detective, intercepted a suspicious man who approached the front of the church and claimed that he wanted to enter and attend the Mass.

According to Hale, the parent observer "located and removed a loaded firearm, concealed on the man's person." The observer then detained the suspect until officers from the Sacramento Police Department arrived on the scene.

Principal Hale assured parents that their children remained in the church throughout the Mass and that "no students came into contact with the man."

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Photo by ANDRI TAMBUNAN/AFP via Getty

Girardot, a former student at St. Mary Parish School, was arrested without incident and slapped with felony charges for allegedly having a concealed firearm on his person and bringing a firearm into a school zone.

U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced on Thursday that the former student has also been federally charged for allegedly possessing a firearm within a school zone.

The Justice Department alleged that additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket were recovered from Girardot's vehicle, which was parked nearby.

In their search of the suspect's home, law enforcement agents also found a series of handwritten notes that allegedly contained references to suicide and threats.

According to court documents reviewed by KTXL-TV, one of the notes listed three family members and stated, "All of you are the reason I've done this."

Another note reportedly said, "Suicide Note f**k you," on one side, and the reverse stated, "Rest of y'all ... f**k you die!!!"

The gun allegedly taken from Girardot outside the church was a Taurus Tracker .44 Magnum. Prosecutors claimed that police found four more firearms in Girardot's garage including a 12-gauge shotgun and a Winchester Model 670 .30-06 rifle.

Girardot, who is apparently ineligible for bail, is presently being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail.

The Diocese of Sacramento joined Bishop Jaime Soto and the Department of Catholic Schools in expressing gratitude both for the parent observer's "vigilance" and that the incident was "resolved safely and that no students, teachers, or staff were harmed."

The diocese added, "May the Lord Jesus, our rock and our refuge, watch over the schools and bless our children with peace and security."

Girardot's arrest comes several months after a hate-filled 23-year-old trans-identifying man opened fire on a full Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 29.

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