Gunman sets fire inside cathedral in Savannah, Ga.

Published: 2003-10-07

SAVANNAH, Ga. (CNS) -- A lone gunman entered Savannah's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Oct. 7, setting fire to the pulpit before a police SWAT team removed the man at about 10 a.m. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire following the capture. No one was injured in the incident. The ambo was badly damaged, said Barbara King, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Savannah. A cushion on the bishop's chair also was damaged by fire. The heavy smoke also caused some damage to the columns and wall near the pulpit, as well as to the sound system. A full determination of the damage is pending. Police cordoned off a several-block area surrounding the church. Savannah Police Department spokesman Bucky Burnsed said the man, later identified as Stuart Vincent Smith, 31, of Marietta, Ga., had a pistol that was recovered nearby. It was not in his hands when he was captured. Police took Smith to headquarters. He told police that he wanted to make a "statement" expressing his opposition to organized religion.

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