A man is in police custody after pointing a gun at two women and attempting to gain entrance to an African-American church in Ambridge last Sunday morning around 9 a.m. The man has been identified as Jeffrey Harris, 38.

One of the women threatened by the suspect quickly alerted local law enforcement and told them he was trying to gain access to the church.

Bishop Kenneth Crumb told WTAE Pittsburgh News that the suspect would have been able to enter the church if he had arrived an hour later.

“When you think about how close we came to having the same kind of horrific situation that we had at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, it’s like the grace of God. Thank God for his grace, for his covering over us, because this could have been a totally different way,” Bishop Crumb said.

Bishop Crumb stated that his church does have armed security guards, but they will be forced to add even more safety measures now. “Unfortunately, you can’t have service no more without it. It is just that bad as you know yourself, there is no way I could sleep safely without protecting the people of God,” Bishop Crumb told reporters.

The suspect pointed his gun at a police officer, who called for backup on the 300 block of Merchant Street. Police successfully detained him and confiscated a 12-gauge shotgun, 25 shotgun rounds, and crystal meth.

Authorities searched the suspect’s home and concluded that he was preparing for a standoff with law enforcement. Harris’ boyfriend, who he cohabitates with has not been seen for several days. More crystal meth, ammunition, and a handwritten plot for a mass shooting were found.

Harris’ bond was set at $975,000 and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 5.