Cleveland: Police find arsenal at homeless shelter

CLEVELAND — Police and federal agents seized 80 guns and 874 boxes of various caliber ammunition from St. Herman’s House of Hospitality, a homeless shelter and assistance center in Ohio City.

Authorities say apparently the weapons were being kept by Abbot John Henry, the clergyman in charge of the facility. The Abbot’s given name is Peter Schanzenbach.

In a police report, the Friday visit to St. Herman’s is described as a “crisis intervention.”

Souces say the Abbot willingly let lawmen in without a warrant and agreed to be taken to a nearby hospital for observation and treatment.

The investigation began with a police undercover agent checking the traffic of guns.

Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman confirmed some of the guns, “dozens” he said, were high-powered weapons, including AK-47’s.

“Any time you have that many weapons and that much ammunition in one facility…there were dozens of guns and dozens of guns concerns people, ” he said.

He claims no one knows the Abbot’s intentions and called it a “miracle” that police got the guns peacefully with no one being hurt.

Cimperman, a supporter of St. Herman’s, claimed neighborhood non-profits would continue to provide food and shelter to men in need. St. Herman’s has helped lots of clients through the years.

Some in the neighborhood believe St. Herman’s does more harm than good, bringing crime and undesirables to the community.

Richard Turnbull owns the Stone Gables Bed and Breakfast several blocks away.

“I’m appalled. It’s supposed to be a house of God and it’s a house of guns,” he said.

WKYC Reporter Tom Beres visited the facility, looking for answers .

Residents demanded he and his videographer immediately get off the property and refused to provide a spokesperson.

Police call this a continuing investigation.

Sources say it may extend to other properties owned by the Abbot. They are declining to provide any more information than that listed in the report document.