BURNET COUNTY, Texas — An arrest has been made following reports of a shooting at a church in Burnet County on Sunday.
According to the Burnet County Sheriff's Office, a thorough investigation revealed that details of the incident were significantly "fabricated."
Authorities said the safety team member who reported the shooting admitted he lied about the incident to law enforcement and others.
The investigation determined there were no hostile actions taken or directed at the church by anyone, and no weapons were displayed toward the church safety member. The congregation's safety was also never in jeopardy, according to authorities.
According to the sheriff's office, church safety team member Jacob Wayne Tarver, 45, was arrested and charged for his role in the incident.
Tarver is charged with misdemeanor false report to induce an emergency response, felony tampering or fabricating physical evidence and felony deadly conduct. He remains in the Burnet County Jail and has not had a bond set. Investigators have not yet determined a reason or motive for the lie.
The sheriff's office also asked the public to share the update about the false report to counteract "the rumors and speculation surrounding this case."
"It really, it affects the community as much as anything," Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said. "There's enough going on in the world – we don't have to have people making things up."
The pastor of the Church at the Epicenter posted on social media claiming the incident was a terroristic threat to their building but declined to speak with KVUE on camera until the investigation was complete.
Burnet County sheriff deputies told KVUE they have questioned the pastor, but he is not under investigation at this time.
What happened?
Deputies were called out to the Church at the Epicenter in Burnet County after a man requested police at the church before hanging up.
They determined a member of the church's volunteer security team fired "multiple shots" at two suspicious men outside of the church who presented a rifle. The safety team member told authorities the men entered a white minivan and fled the area by driving north on U.S. 281.
Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Lampasas Police Department, which said it had called in additional staff and supervision to patrol the city and churches. Some school districts in the area also received extra security on Monday.
"We heard from, you know, the state, we heard from Austin, we even heard from the White House, you know. Because this is the kind of – this really gets everybody's attention now. And so it was a big deal, was a real waste of assets," Sheriff Boyd said.
On Sunday night, the church posted a statement on social media, thanking the "thousands of people, churches, & ministries from across our city, state, nation & the nations" who reached out after hearing about the incident.