Officials Say Potential Mass Church Shooting Thwarted in Tennessee

Tennessee police have prevented a possible mass shooting after arresting a man with an AR-15 and large quantities of ammunition.

As WZTV reports, police in Clifton, Tennessee, received a tip that Daniel Vernon Tolar, a prison guard, threatened the congregation of Emanuel Baptist Church, which was located in the nearby community of Huron.

Authorities confronted Tolar, 35, at his place of work, where they found an A-15 and approximately 1,500 ammunition rounds.

Police then arrested Tolar. His motive and other details of his plan to attack the church are not yet clear.

District Attorney Brent Cooper credited law enforcement officials for their diligence on following up on the threat report. He says their work prevented a possibly tragic event from happening, much like Feb. 14's school shooting in Florida.

"This is what didn't happen in Florida," District Attorney Brent Cooper told the outlet. "Law enforcement listened to a tip and a potential tragedy was avoided."

This story comes in the midst of the renewed nationwide conversation about gun control, mental health and what legislators can do to prevent gun violence.

On Feb. 14, Nikolas Cruz stormed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, armed with a legally-obtained AR-15. He then killed 17 people and injured 15 others.

He was quickly arrested by authorities and is expected to plead guilty for his crimes.

Cruz had been at the center of violent incidents at the school in the past. Furthermore, he was a member of an online chat group touting violence against black people, immigrants, Mexicans, Jewish people and members of the LGBTQ community.

He had been reported to the FBI in January for possibly planning to carry out a mass shooting at the school. The agency was informed he wanted to hurt people and that he had a stockpile of weapons, but they did not follow-up on the tip.

Cruz had also been reported for leaving a comment on a YouTube video that alluded to carrying out a school shooting. Despite the tip, the FBI claims they could not identify who had left the comment.

Photo Credit: Wayne County Jail