By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, March 30, 2026

Some 10 people surrendered their lives to God during a funeral service in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday, when no one got hurt after a grief-stricken man, who declared he didn't believe in Jesus, pointed a gun at the pastor officiating the ceremony for a teenager who died by gun violence, and ordered him to be quiet.

The late teenager was identified as 17-year-old Jabari Malik Kenney by Detroit youth leader Toson Antwan Knight, who said he witnessed the incident at the funeral.

A representative at the New McFall Brothers Funeral Home confirmed with The Christian Post on Monday that the incident occurred at their facility but declined to comment further.

Julius J. Baker, a chaplain and funeral professional who serves primarily at East Seven Mile Chapel of the funeral home, confirmed the incident in a statement on Facebook Saturday night.

“Yes, something unfortunate did occur as a family was in the sacred moment of laying their loved one to rest. But I want to be clear — our staff remained calm, professional and fully committed to serving that family with dignity. We were able to pivot quickly and ensure the service continued in a safe and secure location,” Baker wrote.

“It is deeply disheartening that in our city, even in moments of grief — when a life has already been lost to violence — there are still those who do not value the sanctity of life. That reality weighs heavy. But even in the midst of it all, God was present,” he added. “No additional harm came. The family was cared for. The assignment was completed. And at the end of the day, God still gets the glory — because we are covered by His blood.”

Pastor Darthanian Nichols of Breaking Chains Outreach Ministries, who officiated the Detroit funeral, did not immediately respond to CP's questions on Monday but confirmed the incident in a Facebook post on Saturday and shared more about what happened.

“First, let me shout out New McFall Brothers Funeral Home. Your heart to serve families with dignity, care, and excellence does not go unnoticed. No matter the situation, you show up with compassion, and that means everything,” Nichols said as he thanked his pastoral team for making sure his family was safe.

The Detroit pastor then explained what happened at the funeral home.

“While I was officiating a funeral service, I asked the room to clear the floor just in case of an emergency, just trying to keep everyone safe. In that moment, a man began yelling obscenities, pulled out a gun, and pointed it toward me, threatening to hurt me if I didn’t stop speaking,” Nichols wrote. “Immediately, the room went into chaos, people screaming, running, fear and anger filled the room.”

Despite the chaos that erupted inside the funeral home’s chapel, Nichols said God gave him “peace in the middle of panic.”

“I grabbed the microphone and calmly instructed everyone to leave in an orderly way. I made sure my wife and kids were removed to safety. And even in that moment, as a trained clinician, I recognized this wasn’t just anger, this was grief speaking loudly. So I began to pray!!!” he declared.

Nichols said he tried talking with the gunman, “but he made it clear he didn’t want to hear anything, even said he didn’t believe in the God I believe in.”

At that point, he said he was certain he would have been shot, but God protected him.

“If I’m being honest… I braced myself. I just knew I was going to be shot. But even in that moment, my heart wasn’t just about me, it was about making sure others were safe… and making sure my children don’t see me being shot,” he wrote.

Nichols said God gave him wisdom when he needed it, along with peace, clarity and courage to navigate the moment that impressed 10 people who were at the funeral to repent and give their lives to God.

“The Bible says: ‘And my God will supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Today, that wasn’t for money or provision… But for strength, discernment, and grace under pressure. And even after all of that, God still moved,” he explained.

“I was still able to minister to the family and the young people… and 10 people gave their lives to Christ. That’s the kind of God we serve,” he added.

Following the funeral, Knight, the Detroit youth leader, described the funeral as “one of the wildest things” he has ever experienced in his life, and praised the funeral home for honoring Kenney and his mother despite what happened.

“After that incident with the gun, it was complete chaos. People running, clearing the room, everything felt out of control. It was one of those moments where you’re thinking there’s no way this service is about to continue. But they still went to the cemetery,” Knight said of the funeral home.

“When I say it was the fastest procession I’ve ever seen, I mean we were moving. I followed, and about 50 family members still showed up, minus the one with the gun. What stood out to me the most was this: they still gave my guy a proper service,” he said.

“I’m going to be real, if it was me, I don’t know if I could’ve done it. I might’ve shut it down completely. But they didn’t. They showed grace in a moment where they didn’t have to,” he explained.

“They owed nobody anything at that point except maybe turning over footage and letting the police handle it. Instead, they chose to honor that grieving mother and her son. That meant something.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/10-people-saved-after-man-points-gun-at-pastor-during-funeral.html