A scary incident at a Cranberry church Wednesday morning has resulted in charges filed against a Zelienople man.
According to a Cranberry Township Police criminal complaint, officers responded to the Victory Family Church after 43-year-old Edwin Leech 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. 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 told a church security officer, “This is how mass shootings happen,” and refused to leave. The church was placed on lockdown until officers arrived 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 that 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. He has been charged with felony terroristic threats as well as disorderly conduct and defiant trespass.
