A scary incident at a Cranberry church on Wednesday has resulted in charges filed against a Zelienople man.
Cranberry Township police officers responded to Victory Family Church on Rt. 19 early Wednesday morning after 43-year-old Edwin Leech allegedly began acting irrationally during a worship service.
Leech is not a member of the church but began asking a member “suspicious” questions about the church and the location of the pastors, according to a criminal complaint filed by police. Leech would not allow security to escort him out and became angry. He allegedly started yelling and making irrational statements about being the second messiah.
He then, according to police, told a church security officer, “This is how mass shootings happen. I have mental problems,” and refused to leave.
The church was placed on lockdown until officers arrived, and then evacuated. Leech allegedly told officers he made the statement about mass shootings because he wanted to “teach them a lesson” about how to treat people. He also told officers he is an expert on mass shootings because he studies them a lot.
Leech admitted to having mental health issues and taking medications to treat those issues, police say. He has been charged with felony terroristic threats as well as disorderly conduct and defiant trespass.
