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Man arrested after talking about mass shooting inside local church

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Butler County man is behind bars after police say he walked into a church and started talking about a mass shooting.

Edwin Leech's alleged actions at the Victory Church were so concerning, scared parishioners contacted police.

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"He was asking members suspicious questions, asking where the pastors were, screaming out at the speaker, claiming to be the second Messiah," Cranberry police Sgt. Chuck Mascellino said.

During conversations with security, Leech allegedly admitted to having mental problems and said he went to the church to teach them a lesson about how to treat people.

This all happened during the 6 a.m. prayer service while there were about 100 parishioners in the church. The building was locked down and eventually evacuated.

The pastor told Channel 11 that Leech is not a member of the congregation, and he did not threaten any of the people at the service.

"In today's day, you have err on the side of caution. You can't take anything for granted," Mascellino said.

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