Posted on 06/17/2013 1:42:05 AM PDT by markomalley
Everything was calm and peaceful at St. James Catholic Church on Sunday afternoon before a man walked in and shot his father-in-law in the back of the head.
Witnesses said they had just started to say a prayer when a man and woman walked into the church holding hands.
The victim and his wife “were sitting in the back pew off to the right side when their daughter and her husband walked in holding hands,” said Leon Bedford. “He walked up to (the man) and leaned over and pointed his gun at him criminal style and pulled the trigger.”
The gunman then turned around and fled onto Harrison Boulevard, Bedford said. Several members of the congregation chased him.
“ It was very peaceful up to that point. Very quiet,” said Rebecca Ory Hernandez. “We stood up to say a prayer and then there was the loudest noise. The sound ... the sound. My ears are still hurting. It was so loud.”
Hernandez said she immediately jumped on top of her 5-year-old son to protect him and then called 911.
“It was about 12:15,” she said. “I ran over to the victim and pulled my scarf off and put it around his head. I was talking to him and just telling him to breathe and that everything was going to be OK. He was warm and his heart rate felt normal. He was pretty calm but there was so much blood.”
Hernandez said she asked if anyone had any extra fabric and a man pulled off his T-shirt to lay underneath the victim's head.
“Everything happened so fast,” she said.
Teresa Bedford said she went over to try to help the victim as well.
“They are good friends of ours. We are just devastated by this,” she said. “There was blood everywhere. It was awful. His wife is a nurse and she was assisting him. A lot of people were crowded around trying to help.”
Police are hunting Charles Richard Jennings Jr., 35. They said he fled in a stolen white GMC pickup.
Hernandez said the congregation was told by the priest that the suspect has been involved in domestic violence and has abused his wife.
“I’m assuming he brought her to church to watch him kill her father on Father’s Day,” she said. “How dare he come into our sacred little church and do something like this? He came in on Father’s Day and (shot) his father-in-law and then like a coward he turned and ran away.”
Bedford said he thinks the man’s actions were premeditated.
“Oh it’s obvious it was well planned out,” he said. “They came into the church hand in hand and he walked right up to (the victim) and pulled that trigger."
Okay, I thought you meant “weird” in the sense of something collusive about it between the perp and the perp’s wife... i.e. that they both must have had something against the dad.
There was a further report out of Ogden this AM re: condition. Apparently just before he was shot his head also slightly turned and this report also states the brain was not hit, and the bullet exited the cheek.
I learned that recently; he’s our Pastor, and I didn’t know until a few months ago when he joined “Facebook”! He’s still a somewhat young priest, only about mid-to-late 30s, I think. He’s also quite a conservative one! He had led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, taking a group of local people. I didn’t know he had already arrived back in town! One of the things that was particularly touching, was that he had contacted their guide, who lives in Nazareth. The guy offered to have a mass said for the victim/his family/and the parish in the basilica there!
Oh, I’m afraid I addressed the wrong person! If you know Fr. Erik and some of the people involved, then you know as well as I do about our Pastor! (I’m embarrassed) :-)
Yes, this is addressed to you, “Gemoftheocean”. I didn’t clarify that!
Further news: The victim’s wife is in good spirits and has been overwhelmed by all the love and support they are receiving. Fr. Erik also mentioned on his facebook that he had been by to see the victim not too long ago, and the victim was able to communicate. [Though I suspect by some form other than speaking as that’s where he was hit.] Everyone seems optimistic. I’m sure it will be a long row to hoe still for an injury like that but keep in mind his wife until just recently worked as a hospital nurse and has had many years of experience with such shattering injuries. So he will have the best possible nursing care when he goes home. The whole community has been very supportive. And the victim’s wife would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support, and please keep Jim in your prayers as well as his family and all those who are supporting them.
Why do you say that? I've been to many 12:30 Masses. They are the same as earlier ones.
Praying for the victim and all of his loved ones.
My deceased husband attended a Catholic High School in Salt Lake City. He said living in Utah as a Catholic was very strange.
Prayers that this man recovers fully.
**services run beyond noon**
I don’t think you understand the goings on at a Catholic Church.
Our Church has a 5:30 vigil Mass Saturday evening.
Then Sunday morning a Mass at 8:15; another one at 10:30 and another one at 12:30.
Each Mass lasts 50-60 minutes. No longer because another Mass will soon be offered. The exception is the last Mass — the Spanish one where quite a bit of translating goes on for the homily (sermon) and announcements.
There is a church in my city and in many locations that has NINE Sunday Masses. The last chance Mass (what we call it) is at 7:30 pm on Sunday evening.
THAT is one cold, hard looking man!
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