A Giant Mistake: Priest Arrested over Claims He Pointed Musket at 8-year-old Boy Because of Football Rivalry

By Laurie Hanna
New York Daily News
October 3, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nj-priest-arrested-pointing-musket-8-year-old-boy-article-1.2383953

A football loving New Jersey priest was arrested Friday for allegedly pointing a musket at an 8-year-old boy who committed the cardinal sin of cheering for the Dallas Cowboys.

Father Kevin Carter, a devout Giants fan, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault by pointing a firearm after allegedly threatening to shoot the child for rooting for the Giants arch-rivals, authorities said.

The 54-year-old pastor, assigned to St. Margaret of Cortona Roman Catholic Church in Little Ferry, N.J., was being held on $15,000 bail.

Carter allegedly approached the boy as he and his family arrived for Mass services at the church on Sunday, Sept. 13, hours before the Giants and Cowboys faced off in their first game of the season, and asked to see him in one of the rectory rooms.

Prosecutors said several witnesses watched in horror as the priest stood against the wall and allegedly pointed the Civil War-era musket at his head.

“As he raised his weapon and pointed it at the boy, he said, ‘I’m going to shoot you,’” Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said. “The young boy was apparently a fan of a particular football team, the priest was not. So perhaps we have indication it started out as that.”

Big Blue suffered a heartbreaking 27-26 loss to the Cowboys that night.

A parishioner who witnessed the bizarre incident contacted Newark Archdiocese officials on Sept. 25, and the Archdiocese in turn contacted the Bergen County prosecutor’s office on Sept. 28.

Little Ferry police interviewed and arrested the priest at the St. Margaret rectory Friday.

A search of Carter’s room turned up the weapon, described as a “functioning civil war style musket,” as well as gunpowder, ammunition and other items associated with the firearm, authorities said.

A parishioner who witnessed the bizarre incident contacted Newark Archdiocese officials on Sept. 25, and the Archdiocese in turn contacted the Bergen County prosecutor’s office on Sept. 28.

Little Ferry police interviewed and arrested the priest at the St. Margaret rectory Friday.

A search of Carter’s room turned up the weapon, described as a “functioning civil war style musket,” as well as gunpowder, ammunition and other items associated with the firearm, authorities said.