Richardson left his home in rural Alabama and drove 2,100 miles to St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California, to confront church staff, prosecutors said.
The man appeared to have a fixation on churches named after St. Michael, as he believed he was the biblical angel of the same name, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
In Catholic teachings, Michael is believed to carry the souls of the dead to heaven.
On August 19, before driving across the country, Richardson emailed the abbey and said he was the “rider of the pale horse” in an apparent reference ot the Four Horsemen in the apocalyptic Book of Revelation.
He said that he was “sent to do the Lord’s reaping before his harvest,” the district attorney’s office said.
The abbey didn’t respond to the now bone-chilling email.
On August 26, Richardson attended an afternoon church service at the abbey and followed a priest into a private area afterwards.
The suspect then told the priest he had come to do the “Lord’s work, to separate the weak from the weeds, and that he rode his white pale horse from Alabama.”
Two days later, Richardson was arrested after investigators determined the situation had every indication of turning “very, very dangerous,” Spitzer told Fox affiliate KTTV.
After searching his truck, cops discovered a stun gun, brass knuckles, knives, six high-capacity gun magazines, body armor, duct tape, rope, walkie-talkies, and a sword, prosecutors said.
In the weeks leading up to the incident, Richardson shared his disturbing religious views in videos posted on his Instagram.
At one point, he raged at Catholics for praying the Hail Mary saying, “What are you thinking?”
“You are putting the Earth mother of Christ on the same pedestal as the almighty father. Repent at once!”
DISTURBING CRIME
Richardson’s arrest came just one day after a deranged 23-year-old shooter sprayed bullets through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and killed two children as they prayed.
The FBI said the shooting, which also injured 21 people, including 18 children, is being investigated as a terror attack and hate crime against Catholics.
In a statement, Spitzer said, “The walls of our churches are not just symbols of sanctuary; they represent the most sacred places of worship and of peace.
“No one should have to worship in fear that a stranger would walk through the door with the intent to carry out their own day of judgement and determine who lives and who dies.
“A threat on one house of worship is an attack on every place of worship, and we refuse to allow threats and terror dissuade any person from practicing their faith without fear.
“Public safety is all our responsibility, and we are grateful for the quick action of the church officials and the Sheriff’s Department to prevent another tragedy from occurring.”
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15127812/angel-of-death-arrested-california-church-catholic
