Police: Man threatens to shoot up church, kill everyone inside

MARIETTA, Ga. — The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is now investigating a man who it says threatened to shoot up a local church.

Marietta police say the man texted a threat to several members at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Heaven's Gate on Pickens Industrial Drive.

"It was the pastor of that church that came to this police department to reach out and say I have a problem," Officer Chuck McPhilamy of the Marietta Police Department told Channel 2’s Carl Willis.

The problem, according to police, was that Ken Ogbemudia, a church member himself, called the pastor Monday and threatened to shoot her and shoot up the church.

"Saying that he had possession of two AK-47s and that he intended to come and kill multiple members of the congregation," McPhilamy said.

Police say the suspect's friend Karen James also chimed in, claiming that she recently bought him a cache of weapons and 600 rounds of ammunition.

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"That's a lot of ammunition. That is something that is certainly on all of our minds," McPhilamy told Willis.

Marietta police, Kennesaw police and ATF then got on the case.

Ogbemudia was admitted to WellStar Kennestone Hospital for psychiatric evaluation and was later arrested and charged with making terroristic threats.

But so far, police say no weapons have been found.

"We don't know for a fact whether he has the weapons or not. There's some controversy about it now," McPhilamy said.

Because now, investigators say James denies ever buying the rifles for him. That's still under investigation. Police are just glad they were alerted before any violence happened.

“Very happy that this pastor chose to reach out to us," McPhilamy said.

Willis spoke briefly with the pastor Friday evening but she declined to comment, saying she just wants to maintain her privacy.

Meanwhile, Ogbemudia will be held without bond once he's released from the hospital.

Cox Media Group