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Churchgoers disarm gun-toting woman carrying a baby after she threatened to blow them up

Churchgoers disarm gun-toting woman carrying a baby after she threatened to blow them up

Thankfully, she did not actually have a bomb

A woman holding a baby and brandishing a gun was subdued by parishioners at a church in San Diego after she threatened to blow up their church.

Here's what we know

Church Tsidkenu is a nondenominational church that rents out space in San Diego's Mt. Everest Academy. During its Easter Sunday service, a woman in her early 30s walked to the front of the church carrying a 10-month-old baby and a gun, and "made threats that she was going to blow up the church while waving the handgun," according to local police.

Church parishioners were able to disarm the woman and hold her until police arrived. Her gun was not loaded.

"She was saying stuff that was kind of delusional. I was more worried about getting my family out of there," churchgoer Ronald Farmer told CNN.

Police searched the building with a bomb detection dog, but did not find anything.

According to the police report, "In addition to the 10 month old baby at the scene, the suspect's 5 year old daughter was located during a follow-up and was found to be healthy and unhurt. Both children have been taken into protective custody and will be evaluated by Child Welfare Services."

What else?

The church's name comes from one of the Hebrew names for God in the Old Testament: Jehovah Tsidkenu, which is often translated as the Lord Who is our Righteousness. It is used twice in the book of Jeremiah.

In a tweet from late Saturday night, San Diego Chief of Police David Nisleit said that his department was increasing "patrols at houses of worship" in light of the attacks against Christians in Sri Lanka.

The woman is being charged with making criminal threats and "displaying a handgun in a threatening manner."

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