The man arrested in connection with the rape of two Missouri women and the murder of a third at a Catholic Supply store earlier this week is a former pastor with a long history of advocacy for the eradication of so-called “gun-free zones.” Thomas Bruce, 53, had written on Facebook that “in England today you cannot carry any type of weapon for self defence and you cannot use a firearm to defend your home, family, or property... The gun and weapon laws have made crime safe for criminals and the other violent thugs.” Bruce, a former small-time pastor, was charged with 17 counts following an attack on a Catholic Supply store that left one woman dead, including first-degree murder, sodomy, armed criminal action, kidnapping, burglary and tampering with evidence. He is being held without bail.