Overview
- Brian Richard Girardot Jr., 20, is charged with possessing a firearm within a school zone and also faces state charges, authorities said.
- An off-duty Sacramento police detective serving as a parent observer found and removed a loaded handgun from Girardot as he tried to enter St. Mary Parish during a 9:30 a.m. Ash Wednesday Mass.
- No shots were fired, additional officers arrived and arrested him, and students were kept safe and unaware during the incident, according to the school and police.
- Federal prosecutors said Girardot had additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket in a vehicle parked near the school, and investigators later found handwritten notes referencing suicide and threats at his home.
- The U.S. Attorney said the former St. Mary Parish School student had just dropped off a younger relative before walking onto church property, and the FBI and Sacramento police continue to investigate.