NAPLES, Fla. — A Naples man is in the Collier County Jail after deputies say he walked into a church, claimed to be a trained killer and asked how much money it would take to stop a mass shooting.
Deputies say they responded to a 911 call around 12:30 p.m. Sunday after a man acting erratically alarmed employees at Manantial de Vida Church on Golden Gate Parkway as a service was in progress.
The man, 23-year-old Angel Antonio Arreguin of Naples, was in the lobby when two employees encountered him. According to the Collier County Sheriff's office, Arreguin claimed to be a trained killer, asked how much money it would take to stop a mass shooting, and appeared to have a firearm in his waistband.
Deputies quickly moved in and, after making contact with Arreguin, they say they disarmed him. According to the sheriff's office, Arreguin had a loaded handgun with a bullet in the chamber and 60 rounds of 9mm ammunition in three fully loaded magazines were found in his possession.
Most congregants were unaware of the unfolding incident, deputies say. The church service had just ended and most parishioners had already left the building.
Arreguin was arrested on two felony counts of threat to discharge a destructive device as well as disorderly conduct. He was placed under the Baker Act and trespassed from the church.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk also praised church staff for their handling of the situation. One worker attempted to calm Arreguin while trying not to raise alarms. Deputies say she then contacted law enforcement, while a co-worker moved all children out of the building to a safe area outside. Pastoral staff ended the service early and instructed members to exit the sanctuary through side doors.
"The quick thinking of employees - calming the suspect, distracting him and quietly alerting church staff, likely prevented a violent confrontation," Rambosk said.
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