Mass at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in East Lansing was broken up on Sunday after a man caused a scene interrupting the Pastor who was talking about gun control.
Father Jerry Ploof was speaking during an 11 a.m. mass to a full crowd.
Some people, including the man who disrupted the Homily, were standing in the back of the church.
Father Ploof tells FOX 47 he was talking about how unfortunate it was that parents are being put into positions of having to bury their children, referring to recent mass shootings.
Ploof says he asked the crowd what they think God's opinion would be about topics such as gun control, racism and border walls.
Witnesses told FOX 47 that it was then when the man from the back of the church yelled, "So you think this is about gun control?"
That caused an uproar with families and parishioners who quickly gathered their belongings and tried to hurry out of the church, or grabbed their children shielding them in sheer panic about what could happen next.
One witness that contacted FOX 47 said that people "were running in the opposite direction from the shouter, choosing to get to safety, taking their children with them." He added that given the recent headlines from Florida that "the congregation was shaken by the idea that the man might be a shooter; his dress was such that he could have easily hidden a weapon." He asked to remain anonymous.
Another witness, who asked to be anonymous, called FOX 47 and told us that the man was "menacing," and that his words created chaos at the church and caused a panic amongst the churchgoers. This witness said they feel unsafe and will not return to their church.
Father Ploof says the crowd cheered after the man left and mass went on as normal. He says most people stayed for the rest of mass.
A witness told FOX 47 that parishioners that were exiting the church, got the man who shouted out's listen plate number and description for police.
East Lansing Police say the man was not armed and emphasize there was no threat to the public.
Police say they plan to release more information on Monday.
