The carolers were ending their singing around 3:45 p.m. when an unidentified man opened fire near the doors of the church, Commissioner Dermot Shea told reporters at a news conference,
ABC
reports.
Two semi-automatic firearms were recovered from the scene, along with a bag that reportedly belonged to the suspect. The bag allegedly contained gasoline, rope, wire, multiple knives, a Bible and tape, according to Shea.
In video taken by a bystander and posted on
Facebook
, the gunman, who was dressed in black, can be heard shouting, "kill me, kill me," before he is fatally shot on the steps of the cathedral.
"I figured that I should take a video of this thing that could have been far worse than just the shooter getting shot and killed," Steven Wilson, who posted the video, wrote. He said he only recorded the video after he knew his family was safe.