Editor’s note: This post was updated on February 2 with new information regarding the petition mentioned in the article.
CV NEWS FEED // Local police arrested Debari Charvel Augustine, 22, who this week allegedly opened fire in the direction of St. Augustine Catholic Church in South San Francisco, California.
On January 30 when the shooting occurred, the St. Augustine parish’ Facebook page stated that no one inside the church was injured, though the bullets struck the church doors.
CBS News reported that in the evening of January 30, “police arrested Augustine on Hudson Court in the city’s Hunters Point neighborhood and he was taken to the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City.”
According to the San Francisco Standard, a SWAT team worked with the local police to arrest Augustine after a standoff. “A Citizen video captured the SWAT team’s presence and use of gas outside the home around 9 p.m. Tuesday,” the Standard reported.
Following his arrest, Catholic News Agency reported that “police charged Augustine with several felony counts, which included attempted murder, shooting into a dwelling, and possession of an assault weapon… The authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the shooting.”
On January 31 St. Augustine parish posted a message from their pastor on Facebook, “Grateful to the work of SSF police officers in apprehending the suspect responsible for the vandalism at SAC. We appreciate them for keeping our community safe.”
“Major clean-up and repairs on the damaged areas of our church have started w/ help from the Archdiocese,” the post continued. “Starting tomorrow, Thurs.2/1, we can safely hold in-person services by utilizing the side entry and the front section of the Church… Let’s pray to know His Will from what has occurred.”
The parish also announced that out of caution, the upcoming classes for Catechism and Confirmation have been moved to virtual platforms.
On January 26, a person with the same name as Debari Augustine created a petition on Change.org titled “Urge Israel and the United Nations to Sign the Golden Compact for World Peace.”
At the time of publication, CatholicVote was not able to confirm if the person who created the petition is also the same Augustine whom the police arrested in San Francisco on January 30.
In the petition, Augustine claims to be “a descendant of St. Augustine and my father is the Biblical Melchezedek.”
An excerpt from the petition reads,
On behalf of the Divine Order of Saint Augustine, under Jewish law, for the United States of America. I, King James Julius Caesar Augustine of Europe, charge the United States of Africa with the attempted assassination of King Debari Charvel Augustine and the genocide of the Augustine family for the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Therefore, I reject your declaration of independence and hereby declare war on the United States of Africa.
The petition has acquired 31 signatures.
[Update:] The petition has been removed, deleted, or taken down from Change.org as of February 2.
