Archive for the 'Condolences' Category

Guard’s hands “didn’t even shake” as she shot gunman

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 aassam.jpg 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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Teen sisters killed in Springs

Very sad news from the Denver Post:

The two victims who died after the shooting at New Life Church in Colorado Springs are teenage sisters, and the girls’ father was also shot, according to police.

Colorado Springs police released the names of shooting victims this morning.

The two killed at the church are sisters Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16, police said. The girls were home-schooled, according to a district spokesperson.

Also, from the same article:

The shooter was shot and killed by a volunteer security guard at the church, said Boyd.

Boyd said the security guard, a woman with a law enforcement background, whom he did not identify, encountered the gunman in a hallway at the church and fired on him, saving many lives.

“He had enough ammunition on him to cause a lot of damage,” Boyd said.

Boyd said the gunman has no ties to the church.

“It was just absolutley random,” Boyd said. “A senseless random attack.”

Praise God for that courageous lady.

My most sincere sympathy to the families who lost loved ones in this tragic ordeal.

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Gunman Kills Eight, Then Kills Himself, at Omaha Shopping Mall

We need to pray for the people in Omaha — especially victims and relatives of victims.

UPDATE: Very strange coincidence. I heard Debora Maruca-Kovac, a surgical nurse at Nebraska Medical Center, being interviewed by some guy on CNN before we left for church tonight. Funny thing, she forgot to mention that, “Oh by the way, the kid who shot these people today has been living with my family over the last year.” The CNN guy had no clue when he had her on the phone earlier. Typical homicidal maniac:

Though he had his troubles, Hawkins was gentle and loved animals, Maruca-Kovac said.

But he also had a drinking problem and would occasionally smoke marijuana in his bedroom, she said. Hawkins liked to listen to music and play video games “normal teenager stuff,” she said.

“He was a very helpful young man, but he was quiet,” Maruca-Kovac said. “He didn’t cause a lot of trouble. He tried to help out all the time. He was very thankful for everything. He wasn’t a violent person at all.”

Call me cynical, but I don’t believe a word of it.

UPDATE: HotAir has a thread going on the incident

UPDATE 2: I enjoy this blog and PTG has a great post regarding this tragedy. Sample:

I don’t understand why any self-respecting citizen would let a store or mall policy take away their natural right to self defense by force of arms, whether such right is deemed guaranteed by the US Constitution or not. I‘ll not be reduced to “huddling in a corner” as David Codrea at War on Guns describes today’s victim’s plight.

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Jane Wyman Dies

From ABC News:

Wyman died early Monday at her Palm Springs home, son Michael Reagan said. Wyman’s age was listed asjanewyman.jpeg 93 in several reference books, however other sources, including the official family Web site, say she was 90.

“I have lost a loving mother, my children Cameron and Ashley have lost a loving grandmother, my wife Colleen has lost a loving friend she called Mom and Hollywood has lost the classiest lady to ever grace the silver screen,” Reagan said in a statement.

My sincere condolences to the family.

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