Man sets fire to church during service

Man sets fire to church during service
Burst into sanctuary, began spraying people with gasoline

A man entered the Peoples Church on Lancaster Drive during a Wednesday evening worship service and used a burning liquid to set fires in the crowded sanctuary, officials and witnesses said.

One woman, identified by a church pastor as Arlene Anderson, reportedly was taken to the hospital by her husband for medical attention to burns on her back and neck. Another worshipper sustained burns on her clothing but was not taken to a hospital.

"We were just singing and praying, and the next thing you know, two people were on fire," said Lissa Gordon, 25, of Salem.

Witnesses said the liquid, possibly gasoline, was igniting as it came out of a can that the man was holding. It was not clear how the man ignited the liquid.

Deputy Kevin Rau, a spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office, said one man was in custody. He was not immediately identified.

Rau said the man arrived at the church at 4500 Lancaster Drive NE in a taxi cab and threatened the cab driver with a knife. Rau said the Salem-Keizer Yellow cab driver and the man wrestled for the knife. During the struggle, the cab driver suffered a minor injury to his neck.

Sam Miller, an assistant to the pastor who was attending the 7 p.m. service, said the church's sanctuary was packed with several hundred people when the man entered about 7:15 p.m. The man reportedly came through a front door at the church and into the sanctuary through a side door.

Miller, who also is a police chaplain, said the man then began throwing the burning liquid onto pews, people and carpeting.

"He just poured this gasoline, or whatever it was, and as it was coming out of the can he ignited it. He kind of sprayed it on people"

Worshippers said the incident happened quickly.

"When I jumped up and turned around, there were already a dozen places on fire by the time I saw it," said Bill Gallaher, a church staff member.

Miller said church members tackled the man and were able to get him out of the church. Other churchgoers were able to put out the flames using fire extinguishers or by beating down the flames with clothing or even their hands.

"They were putting it out any way they could," Miller said. "One lady did the stop, drop and roll method."

The fire was out before crews from Marion County Fire District One arrived. Miller estimated that six pews and some carpeting were damaged, but he could not estimate what amount of damage the smoke caused.

"There was a good amount of excitement," Miller said. "People were in a rush. People were expressing concern for one another."

Miller said the man spoke incoherently during the incident. He described the man as OK physically after he was tackled but emotionally disoriented.

"We're going to move forward," Miller said. "The best thing for him is to find Jesus Christ as his Savior."

About 400 to 500 people were in the building at the time, Gallaher said. Children were in a separate building at the time of the incident, he said.

A Salem-Keizer Yellow Cab remained in the church's parking lot, cordoned off by police tape. The taxi was reportedly still in gear when the suspect threatened the driver, and the car rolled to the side of the parking lot.

Many churchgoers inside the sanctuary were being put on local transit buses to be transported to a Marion County facility to be interviewed by officials, Rau said. People leaving the scene in cars were asked to stay for questioning.

A Marion County Mobile Command center was set up in front of the church's main entrance. At least five fire trucks from Salem Fire and Marion County remained on the scene around 9 p.m.

Salem police also responded to the scene, although the church is outside Salem city limits.