Skip to main content

2 Heroes May Have Stopped a Church Massacre: Armed Man in Tactical Gear Was on His Way to Church to 'Fulfill Prophecy'

Share This article

Texas police arrested a man carrying a gun, extra ammunition, and outfitted in tactical-style clothing who was reportedly on his way to church to fulfill what he called a 'prophetic' mission.

The suspect, 33-year-old Tony Dwayne Albert II, was apprehended early Sunday morning while walking along a bridge in Seguin after a waitress at a local restaurant alerted authorities.

"He was looking at me and he was saying something about, 'Do you know where the nearest church is at?'" Brianna Jimenez, a waitress at Las Mañanitas Mexican restaurant is Seguin, told San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT. "And he said Baptist church." 

It was only after Jimenez and her mom provided Albert with directions that Jimenez said she noticed the suspect was armed.

"When he slowly walks away, that's when I finally see he has a weapon, and he's gripping it, like, he has his finger on the trigger," Jimenez told KSAT, noting that she directed her mother to call the police.

Seguin law enforcement officials say the off-duty officer who responded to the call described Albert as being an "oddly dressed male wearing tactical-style clothing, a surgical face shield, carrying a loaded firearm and extra ammunition."

"During the investigation, officers revealed that 33-year-old Tony Albert was allegedly en-route to (an) unidentified church to fulfill what he called a prophecy," department spokesperson Tanya Brown said in a statement Sunday.

Meanwhile, both Jimenez and the Seguin PD appear convinced the call to law enforcement helped prevent a tragedy.

"Now that I think about it, he could've taken a trip to any church and – a lot of people (could've left) in body bags," Jimenez said. "That kind of hurts me, like, what if? You know what I mean? What if that really happened?"

"We're extremely grateful (for the person who called 911), and I know the citizens of Seguin are (grateful)," Brown said. "(Albert) could have carried out a shooting, or he was capable of doing that because he had a loaded handgun."

Albert is now being held on charges of possessing marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm. KSAT reports his bail is set at $100,000.

Meanwhile, the FBI, Texas Rangers and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms have launched an investigation of the incident.

Share This article

About The Author

Crystal
Woodall