'I am devastated': Burnet church leader discusses shock from false shooting report
BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A 45-year-old man was arrested after allegedly making a false report surrounding a Sunday incident at a church in Burnet, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said during a media briefing on Monday.
On Sunday, BCSO searched for two suspects who were allegedly outside the church. A safety team member said he confronted them before they got into a white minivan and drove away northbound on U.S. 281, Boyd said.
However, a thorough investigation into the incident found the man lied to law enforcement and others about the incident. Boyd said there was never a van, nor were there two men.
"This falsehood can only be counteracted by the widespread announcement of the truth."
Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd
Law enforcement arrested Jacob Wayne Tarver after he confessed to making up the story.
"There were no hostile actions taken or directed at the church by any persons, and no weapons brandished towards the church," Boyd said. "At no time was the safety of the congregation in jeopardy."
He was charged with a false report to induce an emergency response, tampering with/fabricating physical evidence and deadly conduct.
The sheriff called this a waste of resources.
"We heard from, you know, from the state, from Austin," Boyd said. "We even heard from the White House."
'We weren't aware'
Church at The Epicenter Senior Leader Kyle Byrd said it was just like any other Sunday morning for the church.
"It was worship. It was a special service for us, because it was the beginning of the new biblical year," Byrd said.
Byrd said during the service, one of his associate ministers pulled him aside and said there was a situation outside but that he wasn't sure what it was yet.
By the end of service, the news came to Byrd that there was an alleged attempt to harm their church.
"It seemed that there were plans being made to take action to harm our congregation," Byrd said. "About that time, the law enforcement came in and corroborated that, and basically said, 'Don't leave until we give you some instructions.'"
On Sunday, reports circulated that the security guard outside the church saw two men wearing turbans and that one displayed a rifle.
Byrd then posted on his social media that their team "intercepted a team of jihadists seeking to enter our facility with a 'large caliber rifle with a banana clip.'" He said that post has since been taken down.
"I reported what I was told, but I believed it, and it caused harm to our community, and we're sorry for that, as much as we can be for what we knew," Byrd said.
Ultimately, he told KXAN everyone was deceived by this.
"We weren't aware any more than they were aware at the time that this story was not true."
Kyle Byrd, Church at the Epicenter Senior Leader
Boyd said this is completely out of Tarver's character. "He's a deacon of our church," Boyd said. "He's a servant, and he is a true servant."
He mentioned Tarver lost his daughter in a car crash just a few months ago.
"I can't help but think somewhere in there was some still, some grappling, some hurt over that," Boyd said. "I don't think that's an excuse. But I think as we're looking for answers, that has to be factored into why."
The sheriff's office is still investigating a motive. Byrd hopes to see Tarver soon to hear directly from him why this happened.
"I want to hear his heart. I want him to know that no matter what he faces, we're not going to give up on him," Boyd said.