From the Denver Post:
The guard who saved untold lives at New Life Church gives credit to God for giving her cover, and boosting her firepower as she shot a heavily-armed gunman.
“I give credit to God. I say that very humbly,” said Jeanne Assam. “God was with me, the whole time I was behind cover. Based on the firepower he had, compared to mine.”
Assam spoke at a press conference in Colorado Springs this afternoon. She is one of about 12 armed security officers at New Life Church, according to Pastor Brady Boyd.
She responded when Matthew Murray, 24, began targeting church members in Colorado Springs, after a
rampage hours earlier in Arvada in which two missionary training center staff members were killed and two were injured. Two teenagers at New Life were fatally shot, and three others injured before Assam could shoot Murray.
She calmly described how the incident unfolded.
“I heard shots fired, there was chaos,” she said. “There was a lot of people in the church. People were running away from shots fired.
“I saw him coming through the doors, and I took cover, and I waited for him to get closer…I identified myself, engaged him, and took him down.”
She spoke unemotionally, but the first words she said were in tribute to the victims.
“I just want you to know it’s an honor to be here and I want to extend my sympathy to the families of the victims and of the gunman. And I mean that very sincerely,” she said.
“I just prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide me my hands weren’t even shaking.”
God bless her. She is a hero.
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There are so many families who will spend Christmas all together, and they’ll never really know for sure that it could have been otherwise. Of course, everyone nearby will always wonder if the guy would have hit them, or their friends, or their kids. So many people are going to get to live, and so many families are going to be together, because of what she did.
I cannot imagine what those other families are going through right now. I mean, they went to church on a Sunday, and all of a sudden, people were brutally murdered.
I hope that Miss (Mrs?) Assam never feels a moment’s worth of guilt. I hope whomever taught her to shoot a gun is proud as all get-out and thinking, “That’s my girl.”
P.S. Michael Vick got 23 months.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/10/vick.sentenced/index.html
Good for her. She saved many lives. It is hard to believe the pacifists would criticize her for doing the right thing.
Re. Vick - he did some seriously bad things. But I can never hear his name without thinking how many of the people railing against him are pro-choice.
Hi Bridget and Neil,
I pray only the best for Ms. Assam. Check out my most current post of the praise a Vietnam Veteran offers regarding her actions.
As for Vick — at least he’s apologetic. It’s a start. I definitely agree with your take on it Neil. What Vic did was cruel and inhumane, but so many of the people railing against him do not value the lives of the unborn.
Bridget said it before I could, I hope she never feels guilty about this. I’m sure it’s not easy to kill someone - anyone - but by doing that she saved so many lives, we can’t even guess.
Hi Tieki,
She is such an inspiration. God has big plans for her. I feel so terrible for the family that lost two teenage daughters, and the father hospitalized. How difficult must it be to recover when you know your children have perished prematurely?
At the same time, as Bridget mentioned, how many families are going to get to spend Christmas cherishing each other thanks to this brave lady. My prayer is that this lady will be blessed beyond blessed. So much so, that Senator GrASSley wants to know what’s going on. Go figure, she’s single with no children, yet look at the children she was able to save? I saw another article where she states that she was just coming off of a 3 day fast, yet God gave her the ability to focus sharply, steady hands, and courage.
Would be cowardly homicidal maniacs need to take note — this might not be the gun free zone you are counting on. Righteous people are sick of your ilk and will take you out.
Wow - I feel all wise now.
When I get a study break, I’ll be posting on some (very tangentally) related stuff.
You should Bridget! It seems like we are always using you as a point of reference.