Man shoots at St. Augustine Catholic church in South San Francisco; suspect arrested
A man who allegedly opened fire at a church in South San Francisco Tuesday was later arrested in San Francisco, authorities said.
The shooting happened at St. Augustine Catholic Church on the 3700 block of Callan Boulevard at about 1:25 p.m. Tuesday. South San Francisco police said witnesses saw a man fleeing the area after the shooting. Security camera footage from a nearby home captured the sound of a rapid-fire shooting.
The shooting shattered glass at the main entrance of the church. A nearby middle school was briefly placed on lockdown after the shooting. The Archdiocese of San Francisco said at the time of the shooting, no one was inside the church and the gunman did not gain entry into the building.
Following an investigation, police detectives were able to identify the suspect as 22-year-old San Francisco resident Debari Charvel Augustine.
On Tuesday night, 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.
Augustine was booked on charges of attempted murder, shooting into a dwelling, and possession of an assault weapon.
The archdiocese said the church parish and archdiocesan leadership were assessing the damage to both the exterior and interior of the building, and added that they were advised not to hold any in-person services and to close the parish office at least through Wednesday.
Scheduled in-person catechism and Confirmation classes for Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday were advised to hold their classes virtually, the archdiocese said.
