4 Stabbed At Church: Man Attacks Choir, Sends 4 To Hospital From Church In Albuquerque

Tragedy struck at an Albuquerque Church when during Sunday Mass, a man jumped over several pews of people, and stabbed 4 people in the choir area.

Albuquerque Police stated that the man responsible for stabbing 4 people was Lawrence Capener. Capener proceeded directly to the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church choir area after hopping over pews and multiple church goers, then viciously attacked specific members involved with the church choir just as they began to sing their final hymn of Sunday's mass.

Fortunately, of the 4 stabbed, none of the injuries proved life threatening. Police spokesman Robert Gibbs stated that church choir director Adam Alvarez and flutist Gerald Madrid were among the four people stabbed.

It is still unknown what exactly sparked the brutal attack at 11 a.m. Mass at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church. Capener regularly attended mass at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church therefore investigators are now searching for ties between Capener and the victims.

Authorities say 24-year-old Capener was booked late Sunday on three counts of aggravated battery. The Albuquerque resident was ordered held on $75,000 bail.

Fortunately, others at the church tackled Capener before he could attack more church-goers, stabbing victim, Madrid told KOB-TV that he tried to detain Capener by holding him in a bear hug, "I bear-hugged him. We were chest on chest. I was wrapping about to take him down to ground, but I didn't have his arms. I had just my arms around his chest, so his arms were free. So that's when he started stabbing me," he said.

The Catholic community was equally shocked by the attack in the church, Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael Sheehan released a statement Sunday afternoon saying he was saddened by the attack.

"This is the first time in my 30 years serving as archbishop in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and as Bishop of Lubbock, that anything like this has occurred," Sheehan said. "I pray for all who have been harmed, their families, the parishioners and that nothing like this will ever happen again."

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