A security volunteer spotted the gun before it cleared his pocket

What happened

On Sunday, March 15, 2026, Eden Church was holding its morning service at the Post Entertainment Center in downtown Houston. According to court documents reported by Fox News and The Christian Post, a security team member, Fernando Romo, recognized a man arriving with a backpack. About two months earlier, church staff had asked the same man to leave after he tried to hand out “concerning” flyers.

Because of that history, the pastor had already told the security team to keep an eye on him. Romo watched him follow a pastor into a restroom, then walk in and out several times before slipping into the crowd. A second pastor walked up and started talking to him. During that conversation, Romo saw the grip of a pistol in the man’s front pocket.

Court documents say the man tried to draw the gun, but the hammer snagged on his pants. Romo tackled him. Church members helped hold him down until police arrived. He had his phone in his other hand and was counting down out loud, so Romo feared there might be a bomb in the backpack. Police say the revolver held six live rounds and the backpack had more than 100 more. The phone was open to a note naming the pastor he allegedly planned to kill.

Emmanuel Mbwavi, 23, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charges are allegations, and the case is pending.

What safety teams can take from it

• Write it down when you remove someone. This team stopped him because they remembered an incident from two months earlier. Keep a simple log of trespass warnings, with a photo or description, and brief the whole team on it before every service.
• When someone is “on watch,” assign one person to them. One volunteer had eyes on the subject the whole time. That’s why the gun was spotted in seconds and not minutes.
• Watch behavior, not appearance. Following a pastor and going in and out of a restroom over and over is pre-attack behavior. Train your team to notice patterns like that and to report them early on the radio.
• Plan a cover role when someone engages. A pastor walked up to the subject. Your plan should put a trained team member close by whenever anyone makes contact with a person of concern.
• Secure the scene after the takedown. A bystander picked up the dropped revolver. Agree ahead of time on who secures a dropped weapon, who calls 911, and who moves the congregation away, including from a bag that might hold explosives.