Man Pulls Gun at Nashville Church Service, Gets Tackled and Disarmed by Pastor: Police Report

Sarah RumpfNov 7th, 2021, 8:40 pm
 
mugshot of Dezire Baganda

Photo by Metro Nashville Police Department.

A 26-year-old man pulled a handgun at a Nashville church and waved it at the congregation, before being tackled by the pastor and several members of the congregation and disarmed.

According to a report by local ABC affiliate WKRN, Dezire Baganda sat near the front of the Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church, then “pulled out a gun and walked up to the altar where the pastor was praying along with several church members.”

Baganda then reportedly waved the gun around, pointing it at the congregation and telling them to “get up.” The church pastor “quickly tackled” Baganda, reported Fox 17 Nashville, and several other church members ran up to help the pastor wrestle the gun away from Baganda. Police praised the brave actions of the pastor and congregation members, confirming to reporters that they held Baganda down until police arrived and arrested him.

Baganda did not fire any shots before he was disarmed and restrained, and local media reported no injuries.

The pastor confirmed to police that Baganda had attended services at his church before, although he was not a member.

Baganda was charged with 15 counts of Felony Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, according to News Channel 5, with additional charges expected to come at the beginning of the week.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Bluesky and Threads.