Police: Church Gunman Killed Himself

Brietbart ^ | 12/11/2007 | JUDITH KOHLER

[jamndad5]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The man who killed four people at a church and missionary training center died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound, police said Tuesday.

Matthew Murray, 24, was struck multiple times by a security officer at New Life Church Sunday but died after firing a single shot at himself, the El Paso County Coroner's Office concluded after an autopsy.

[napscoordinator]

Of course not...lol.

[Deaf Smith]

I can’t picture her allowing the threat to continue if he had the firearm in hand and moved into position in light of her performance. Didn’t she fire the last shot of the event when he went for the (smoke) grenade?

[ahayes]

The autopsy is just clinically stating that, after absorbing maybe 6 hits from the guard, the shooter was not technically dead yet, as he was still standing, then the self-inflicted shotgun wound ensured death.

Apparently that single shot was the cause of death. Perhaps if he'd crawled off and hidden somewhere for 12 hours the other shots would have caused his death in a different manner, but they did not contribute to his death in this case.

Still, I cannot forgive the MSM for deliberately trying to minimize the hero's role, and for digging up dirt on her reputation and printing it at this time.

If they weren't trying to dig up dirt on someone, what else would they have to do? :-P

[CindyDawg]

Has there even been a report from the ME. If so, he sure works fast.

[FoxPro]

Its a win/win all around. She can go on with her life without the thought that she took a life, no matter how justified.

[Graybeard58]

Yep, a quick way to end the pain of her round after round going into his body

My thought too. If somebody pumped rounds into my body, I'd want to hurry and get it over with.

[Deaf Smith]

None of the TV interviews state he fired the last shot. I believe she was in full control until he was dead. All of this may be by the MSN as to who was in control of the final solution.

Can't have be a CCL holder, can we? /sarc off

[SpringheelJack]

Shotgun wounds don’t need much deciphering.

[TFFKAMM]

LOL! I remember that song from the Beat Farmers.

[Southerngl]

Several witnesses said she unloaded into him. I don’t get it.

[Doomonyou]

Suicide by multiple gunshots, huh?

No, that's Arkancide.

[helen crump]

I don’t think it matters who delivered the death blow. He went in to that church loaded and obviously ready to harm as many people as he could. She stopped him. She’s the hero. Actually, if I was the guard I’d be a little relieved the fatal blow came from his own gun.
I’m sure the families from that church will be thanking their heavenly Father for this woman who acted so quickly and stopped this planned blood bath.

[sharkhawk]

To be fair, we don’t know why the male guard didn’t fire his gun. There could have been backstop problems.

[MarMema]

Coroners have a lot of power and they can work very closely with the police to help with outcomes.

[boop]

"Personally I’m glad, it means nobody can call for her (the security guard) to be prosecuted and she can’t be sued by his family. It’s a win win for her."

At first I thought it was the MSM just trying to take away a "victory" for an armed citizen saving perhaps hundreds of lives, but you are right. I don't think it diminishes Assam's heroism at all. When this POS started firing, he expected a bunch of sheepish people waiting for him to slaughter them. When he was confronted with this heroic woman he realized he was finished and offed himself.

[Eddie01]

Larry, please sign up for church security detail.

[4Liberty]

The story was just getting too ‘gun-friendly.’

Speaking of digging up dirt, how ‘bout CBS putting a disclaimer at the bottom of their nightly broadcast [”We’ve been found using fabricated memos about President Bush. Please view at your own risk. Thank you”]

[El Gato]

I don’t think the pathologist had any political motive. Pathologists at autopsies are attempting to find out the ultimate cause of death and any contributing factors. It appears the self-inflicted shot was what killed him, and the other injuries were not severe enough to have contributed to his death.

I can see the first statement, the proximate cause of his death was a round he fired, but where did you get the second? Who knows what would have happened had he not shot himself? He was holed multiple times and down. There were others, his victims, with higher priority for medical treatment. He might have bleed to death, his heart might have failed, any number of things could have happened, if he hadn't (probably literally) blow his brains out.

Shotgun wound? I thought he had an "Assault Rifle"? The newsies all assured us he did. Well no mater it was probably an evil black (semi) automatic "assault shotgun", with a "high capacity ammunition feeding device".

[El Gato]

Shotgun wounds don’t need much deciphering.

True but making them is a pretty obvious act. Why wasn't it reported earlier that he shot himself? It's not like there weren't plenty of witnesses.

[sarasmom]

Most reports I have read state she was the only “armed” security guard there.