Marietta Man Charged for Threatening to Shoot Churchgoers

A Marietta man has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after police say he threatened to shoot and kill worshippers at his church.

Ken Ogbemudia, a Nigerian national, allegedly sent the threat via text message to several parishoners at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Heaven’s Gate. The church’s pastor, Temitosan Abimbola, reported the threat on Jan. 3.

Abimola told police she spoke to an associate of Ogbemudia, who said that he had recently purchased two AK-47-style rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition. Investigators from Marietta and Kennesaw police departments and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms have yet to recover the weapons and ammunition Ogbemudia allegedly purchased.

Ogbemudia allegedly admitted to investigators that he is in the country illegally, prompting an investigation into his immigration status by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ogbemudia is being held at Kennestone Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and will be held without bond once he is released from the hospital, according to police.