North Texas man charged with gun crime after trying to enter church with rifle, feds say
A man who recently tried to enter a Dallas church with a rifle has been charged with a federal gun crime related to a 2022 shooting, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office in North Texas.
The man, identified as 25-year-old Russell Alan Ragsdale, was charged via criminal complaint with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, authorities said.
Ragsdale entered an unidentified Dallas church on Nov. 2 alongside about 100 parishioners celebrating Mass, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
After the service, Ragsdale went to his vehicle and retrieved a rifle from the trunk, closed three gates to the parking lot, and then attempted to enter the church, according to the statement. Parishioners had locked the doors and Ragsdale was unsuccessful, investigators said.
While investigating the church incident, officials said, agents learned that Ragsdale had been arrested on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of his roommate in February 2022 in Seagoville.
Ragsdale claimed his roommate attacked him and that he fired in self-defense, authorities said. The murder case was later dismissed.
Officers recovered three firearms from Ragsdale’s residence, including an AR-15 rifle and two grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, authorities said.
Analysis of Ragsdale’s phone showed a history of drug use dating back to November 2021, and that Ragsdale had purchased hallucinogenic mushrooms on the day prior to shooting his roommate, officials said.
Ragsdale was arrested on Friday, Nov. 22, on the gun charge and made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver on Monday morning. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning, according to court records.
If convicted, Ragsdale faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
An attorney for Ragsdale could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
