Nine shot in 2 church-related Colorado attacks

Reuters ^ | Dec 9, 2007 | By Keith Coffman

[Islander7]

DENVER (Reuters) - Three people were shot to death and six were wounded in Colorado on Sunday in two church-related shootings in the U.S. Christian heartland.

A gunman -- described by an eyewitness as dressed in black, wearing combat boots and holding an assault rifle and at least one handgun -- wounded four people when he opened fire in the parking lot of the vast New Life evangelical church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after Sunday services, police said.

A New Life church security guard shot and killed the gunman before police arrived on the scene, Colorado Springs police chief Richard Myers told a news conference.

[Islander7]

"They came to church with their families to worship and what happened today was a real tragedy," Boyd said.

Thank God for the armed guard! There is no way to know how many lives he saved.

[Ann Archy]

The thought of having to HAVE an ARMED GURAD at Church s frightening!

[CindyDawg]

He, I think is a she.

[cripplecreek]

According to the most recent report the shooter is still laying in the entrance to the church and they think there may be explosives on his body as well as around the church.

[Southack]

As the golden dome mosque in Iraq showed, places of worship are the targets of today’s terrorists.

Be prepared.

[ac-rep]

These crimes will stop when we stop making heroes out of misfits.

[festus]

Kudos to the “guard” who put an end to this quickly before it got worse.

Just doing the Lords work and helping another soul meet Jesus.

[Joe 6-pack]

"The thought of having to HAVE an ARMED GURAD at Church s frightening!"

I'm guessing you haven't been to too many Louisiana weddings.

[trumandogz]

Over the last week there seems to have been a wave of terrorism sweeping the U.S.

Nebraska and Colorado, three mass shootings.

Sad, no only do we have to look out for foreign terrorist but apparently home grown terrorists.

[sweetliberty]

Have y’all seen this? The world has gone absolutely mad! I’ve actually attended this church a few times with friends (the one in Colorado Springs).

[Larry Lucido]

That’s why you don’t have “gun free” zones anywhere. “Gun free” zones attract deranged folks with guns, especially those with just enough sense to not want anyone shooting back.

[Larry Lucido]

ROFL!

[PAR35]

The thought of having to HAVE an ARMED GURAD at Church s frightening!

Except for the smallest churches, I would think that it would be common in urban areas.

[hoosierham]

Uhhh., the early colonists required the mrn to bring their guns to church.

We seem to have to learn some lessons over and over.

[RedRover]

Exactly! How many shootings at gun shows have you heard about? These psychos go to gun-free zones because they know they can take control.

Prayers up for the victims and their families.

[Ann Archy]

LOL!

[Ann Archy]

I am in URBAN CRAZY SEATTLE and we don’t have Armed Gurads.

[sweetliberty]

Here's a link to an article on the second attack.

4 die in Colo. church, mission attacks

[skr]

Exactly what I was thinking. The church must have received some threats.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***The thought of having to HAVE an ARMED GURAD at Church s frightening!***

Early american Colonists required by law to bring a firearm to church or be fined.

[hoosierham]

Anybody remember Peter ,the disciple of Jesus of Nazareth and Galilee?

The word is ,he went about armed with a sword.

[NRA2BFree]

LOL!

[2ndDivisionVet]

A friend of mine is a bodyguard and is one of the ushers at his Pentecostal church. He told me several years ago that the ushers at many congregations are fully armed nowadays.

[Diogenesis]

These crimes will stop when we stop making heroes out of misfits.

[JennysCool]

For the most part, Seattle is trendy-crazy, not crazy-crazy.

[George from New England]

Every Sunday and Holy Day I attend services. Every CCW should exercise that responsibility, as we will not know the day when Islam will strike. I believe it is not a matter of whether but when it will come down, always be prepared.

[festus]

I got married in Ohio and there was guns at my wedding. We have photographic proof. Paw-in-law standing there holdin a shotgun.

I’m not joking either.

[Ann Archy]

You’re joking, right??? We hear gun shots every WEEKEND. And Seattle is VERY anti-CHRISTIAN.

[JennysCool]

Where are you located? If it’s near downtown I’m sure it’s different than in the ‘burbs.

[Ann Archy]

I’m in DOWNTOWN SEATTLE...I said I was in URBAN...urban means DOWNTOWN.

[JennysCool]

Er. Um. I get it.

Geez.

[jwalsh07]

Thank God for the armed guard! There is no way to know how many lives he saved.

Yup. As for the shooters, I'll reserve commenting until we get the obligatory writings of the perps.

[do the dhue]

but apparently home grown terrorists.

Do you mean the likes of these shooters or the likes of Senator Scary Reid (D - Al Qeada), Senator Ted Kennedy (D - Al Qeada), Senator John Kerry (D - Insurgents), and Senator Puss Fiengold (D - Insurgents), Senator Carl Leven (D - Al Qeada In Iraq (AQI)), Senator Jack Reed (D - AQI), Ken Salazar (D - Imam Mehdi Army), and/or Lamar Alexander (R - Imam Mehdi Army)?

[PAR35]

Perhaps you all should review your policies. Unless you have several law enforcement officer in the congregation, at least one off duty officer is probably need for a medium sized church, and multiple officers for large and mega churches.

[no-to-illegals]

Two at a minimum for every service. With the threats (constantly) and the actions of today, Two officers (civilian clothing) is a necessity, plus two-way communication if the officers are out of sight of each other at any time. I do not enjoy typing this, but the times demand all be prepared.

[trumandogz]

If any of the people you mention are running around a shopping mall or church shooting people, then they are terrorists.

[Cicero]

Old fashioned shotgun wedding?

[festus]

Nah but it was a standard part of the photo package the local photographer did. Paw-in-law had a nice muzzle loadin double barrel CVA kit he’d put together.

It was nicely staged.

Another wedding I was in shot by the photographer featured UZI’s ( semi auto ) supplied by the photographer.

It was rural Ohio after all.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Gun Free Zones are generally bad things, but at least this church provided armed guards to provide protection, and it worked.

Even in the old west, saloons would often be “gun-free” zones, but the proprieter had armed men to keep the peace.

[Colorado Cowgirl]

Yes, I remember Peter cut off the right ear of a guy named Malchus a servant of the high priest, and the Lord reattached it. (John 18:10)(Luke 22:51)Amen.

[ModelBreaker]

These psychos go to gun-free zones because they know they can take control.

Our church is not a gun-free zone when my wife and I are there.

[dragnet2]

Armed church security guards, but large mall security guards are unarmed? Very odd.

[do the dhue]

What about sidin’ up with the terrorist? That should count.

[TASMANIANRED]

Probably saved a bunch of them...

[TASMANIANRED]

If I a church is actively Christian they are already so “not PC”...that armed guards aren’t much of a stretch.

[AnAmericanMother]

We have 3-4 sworn officers on duty at all services. One of them has a K-9 sidekick. They mostly direct traffic, but they're in uniform with sidearms.

As for plainclothesmen, I don't know, but they wouldn't tell me, now, would they?

(it's that Irish Mafia again - every one of the guys is named Flanagan or McCormick or O'Reilly.)

[dragnet2]

The New Life Church was founded 20 years ago by pastor Ted Haggard who resigned in disgrace a year ago after admitting to sexually immoral conduct following a friendship with a male prostitute.

Oh yeah...Isn't this the same guy that was also smoking crack with prostitutes?

[TASMANIANRED]

I don’t know who the guy is...

I stated...”If” a church is actively Christian.

[Myrddin]

The thought of having to HAVE an ARMED GURAD at Church s frightening!

Why is that? It was commonplace to have churches robbed of Sunday offerings in Texas until the law was changed to permit CCW carry in churches. The robberies stopped immediately. It was fortunate that this church had an armed person present to stop the carnage.

[dragnet2]

I don’t know who the guy is...

Here, let me help ya...From the article.

The New Life Church was founded 20 years ago by pastor Ted Haggard who resigned in disgrace a year ago after admitting to sexually immoral conduct following a friendship with a male prostitute.