Tragedy in our church

[wmccall]

I didn't want this to become a political debate, I moved it from the main forum when it did so. If any one has any more thoughts to share with Spaman or Stuart, please feel free to share.  I'll close the thread if it continues as a gun issue, there are plenty of forums for that.

[stuart]

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers....

Sunday, we were going to stay and have lunch with friends in the cafe but I was still not feeling all that well so we walked out. As we left there was smoke hanging in the air from a smoke bomb, I told my wife that it was probably kids messing around. We started walking to our car and heard two "pops"...I told my wife "it sounds like someone hitting something." We continued on and heard the popping several more times {around 20).

I kept looking towards the playground where the noise seemed to be coming from and saw an usher run to the edge of the playground and peek around...I told my wife that it was probably kids with firecrackers and he was about to catch them just then he ducked back around the column, I looked through the fence and saw what looked like a man with a gun standing between the buildings. I ordered my wife and daughter to "GET IN THE CAR NOW!"

No sooner had I (quickly) walked around the car, got in and shut the door did hundreds of people come running out of the church screaming "HE'S GOT A GUN, HE'S SHOOTING PEOPLE!"

Several of them pulled open our doors and jumped in and some even tried to climb on the car. I tried to calm everyone and get them in the car while trying to turn the car around. We drove the perimeter road of the church with 6-8 hysterical women and teenage girls that had seen him shooting at people.

I took them to the collage near the church, helped them call dads and husbands and tried to go back for another load but looking across the field it looked like the police and swat where in place so I stayed put and continued to calm the group around me.

In the process of all this I asked my eight year old in the midst of all these hysteria if she was ok and she told me with tears in her eye's, "Daddy, I dreamed about this last night!" When I questioned her about it she said she dreamed about the gunman (she saw him as she jumped in the car and as we drove away) dressed the same way, shooting into the windows. She said the main difference was in her dream he had an ugly deformed little man with him holding a twisted cane pointing were to shoot and laughing.

The whole thing seems very surreal...My wife and I were completely calm and composed through the whole ordeal as if we had no doubt we would be OK.

We are fine in the outcome and want everyone to know that this is not our tragedy but rather that of those who died. I can't imagine being that father standing there not able to help his daughters....

I keep thinking to the fact that I didn’t recognize the sounds were gunshots and didn’t react, anyone who knows me would find this strange but I believe it was God keeping my family safe. Had I engaged in the condition that I’m in, I would have probably died and put my family in harms way.  

I'm amazed that there was not more damage...there were thousands of people still in the church and I know for a fact that he fired more than 40 rounds, he also had over 1000 rounds of ammo....

[bohms]

Stuart - that must have been a tragic experience for you and your family.  I can't imagine seeing what you saw.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones.  Someone was watching over you and your family that day.  I'm glad you're safe.  Thanks for sharing your story with us.

[East_TX_Spa]

That is unbelievable!  I am thankful that you and your family are OK...I cannot imagine what a harrowing experience that must have been.

I grieve for the man who lost his daughters.  That has to be the most unbearable sadness a man could feel.

Chris O

[Richs100]

Man o' Man, your story makes my entire spine shiver.  Especially your daughter's dream!   You are so fortunate to be safe and with your family.  I still can't believe you saw this guy as it was all breaking loose.  

My sincere condolences to everyone out there who has been impacted by this terrible situation.

[AstaLaVista]

That is unbelievable!  I am thankful that you and your family are OK...I cannot imagine what a harrowing experience that must have been.

I grieve for the man who lost his daughters.  That has to be the most unbearable sadness a man could feel.

Chris O

I agree..... no one should have to go through that pain.

[Steve]

There's not much that I can say that hasn't been said already but I am so glad you and your families are safe.

It was all over the news up here even and I never dreamed for one second that I would know someone that was there. It sent a chill down my spine reading the beginning of this thread and I too felt such sadness for the Father that lost his 2 daughters. So very sad.

One very sick person can change so many lives and unfortunately we see this played out far too often. Because their lives are so worthless, they feel this will give them a place in history in their own death. Maybe we should just stop reporting these brutal acts of cowardness...

The lady guard is certainly a hero as no doubt she saved many more! I just have a hard time believing that having more loaded guns in ones posession will eliminate this. IMO, it just tends to flood a region with weapons and makes it that much easier for those same weapons to fall into the wrong hands. I don't think 200 people firing weapons in a Church would be what God would want... Maybe I'm wrong....

[East_TX_Spa]

I don't think 200 people firing weapons in a Church would be what God would want... Maybe I'm wrong....

W.W.S.D.?

Term

[Bonibelle]

glad we didn't find out, Term

[LtDan]

There's not much that I can say that hasn't been said already but I am so glad you and your families are safe.

It was all over the news up here even and I never dreamed for one second that I would know someone that was there. It sent a chill down my spine reading the beginning of this thread and I too felt such sadness for the Father that lost his 2 daughters. So very sad.

One very sick person can change so many lives and unfortunately we see this played out far too often. Because their lives are so worthless, they feel this will give them a place in history in their own death. Maybe we should just stop reporting these brutal acts of cowardness...

The lady guard is certainly a hero as no doubt she saved many more! I just have a hard time believing that having more loaded guns in ones posession will eliminate this. IMO, it just tends to flood a region with weapons and makes it that much easier for those same weapons to fall into the wrong hands. I don't think 200 people firing weapons in a Church would be what God would want... Maybe I'm wrong....

The wrong hands always seem to be able find the guns though. Having them in the right hands (the armed lady) is the key. Had the gunman been acting in concert with others, having more "right hands" with guns would have been the key to minimizing casualties.

Truly happy you and your family were not among the unfortunate. Having an experience such as that does wonders for your perspective as to what is a tragedy in life.

[96SC]

If there has been any good from this, it is that Ms. Assam does not have to live with the realization that she ended someones life, though she would have been justified if she had.  She can be proud that the actions she took probably saved lives of many others in the congregation.

Here's to you Ms. Assam. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[spaman--]

WOWWWWWWWWW!!!! A powerful service was held at our church last night!
 The loss is tragic but I can see the good already evolving from all of this as our church was packed with 9000+ people last night. The numbers of people coming to church in the future will grow and these lives lost will not be in vein. These people who lost their lives lived life in its entirety for the church. Thus being said they have moved on and are in a better place. If one person comes to Christ as a result of this tragedy (and I suspect the numbers to be in the thousands) Then I am certain Gods will and plan is working. Last night I heard a message that makes sense "the enemy has NEVER won"!!!!!!!
I believe my church is a safe place and I will take my family there through out the week and faithfully on Sunday.