Colorado (Church) shooter was baptized into LDS faith

KSL News, Salt Lake City ^ | 12/13/07 | Sarah Dallof

[colorcountry]

KSL News has learned the man who went on a shooting rampage at two Colorado church properties had been baptized into the LDS Church a year ago.

Matthew Murray killed four people and wounded several others Sunday, before he turned the gun on himself. He targeted people at two Christian churches, posting anti-religion messages online before the shootings. But a year ago, he welcomed religion in his life, according to one man who taught Murray about the Latter-day Saint faith.

A.J. Ormond was there the day Matthew Murray was baptized. He says he immediately noticed a change; Murray seemed happy, calm, at peace. It was a demeanor that changed dramatically in just a year.

"He seemed like a normal person, maybe a little sheltered." That's how A.J. Ormond remembers Matthew Murray, the man police say shot and killed two at a Youth with Mission Center in Arvada, then two sisters at a New Life Church in Colorado Springs 12 hours later.

Before the attacks, he posted hate-filled messages online like "You Christians brought this on yourselves," and "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you... as I can."

"I think everybody goes through 'Is there anything I could have done? Anything?'", Ormond said.

Ormond met Murray in November 2006 in Colorado. Murray wanted to learn more about the LDS church. Ormond and his wife worked with the missionaries in their ward.

"I think he was interested in learning about all religions, trying to figure out what fit him and his beliefs and finding somewhere where he could fit in," Ormond said.

Ormond describes Murray as polite and friendly, a young man who, despite his family's protests, was seriously contemplating devoting his life to the LDS Church. Murray's experience with the LDS Church culminated with his baptism. Soon after, he stopped going to church; and just a little over a year later, Murray was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head following a shootout with a security guard.

The photos of him splashed on TV were easily recognizable to Ormond; his motives, though, a mystery. Ormond said, "It was obvious that it wasn't the person we had known that had committed those shootings and those murders."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement saying, "We checked our records, and they confirm that Matthew Murray of Englewood, Colorado, was baptized about a year ago."

Beyond that, the church said it would have no comment.

[killermedic]

In fact I think that his endorsement of Mitt was somehwere in his hate filled rants where he talks about killing “christians.”

[killermedic]

forgot my sarc tag

[livius]

Absolutely. I think that’s one of the reasons there was dead silence about him, even though he had obviously been identified almost immediately.

It’s possible that he wasn’t a Muslim, and again, I’m basing the “Muslim” identification solely on what he was supposedly wearing. But I think that if he considered himself a Muslim and was expressing his hatred of Christianity through this, whether or not he was going to a mosque, it would be kept a deep dark secret by the government and the media.

[livius]

We have had too many Islam-instigated attacks on us to regard this as a simply philosophical matter, and aying that people here are bigots is ridiculous. If Islam left me alone, I’d leave it alone. But it never does.

Mormons have not attacked other Americans (recently, although they used to do so). I don’t think they would, or at any rate, the mainstream Mormons would not, and I think the fact that he was Mormon was interesting but did not motivate him to do what he did.

He was psychotic, but psychotics often look for a greater “cause” to which they can ally themselves and feel more justified.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

It’s what’s wrong with a lot of religions that focus on the individual and their great worth or potential. I’ve seen and known a lot of Pentecostals that put emphasis on the individual’s abilities, almost encouraging them that they’re superhuman. Speaking in tongues, gifts of prophecy, etc. I’ve seen how it can feed the ego, and have parents put undue pressure on children to perform. Telling your kid he’s destined to be a prophet despite the fact that there have been no successful prophets since the days of the Apostles? What does that do to a kid at the age of 6?

Christianity, as I know it to be, teaches sacrifice, humility, meekness, forgiveness, thankfulness and grace. Above all, it teaches that our strength comes from Christ, not from ourselves; and all that we have is given to us by the Father to be used in good stewardship - and never taken advantage of.

[ishabibble]

An earlier article on this page mentioned the Nebraska mall shooter. I don’t know nor do I care what that sick boy’s religious leanings were, I do know that he caused so much heartache and left a note saying he was going to be famous.
Just over a week now and I sure don’t recall his name.

The Mormon bashers here should learn to mind their own business.

[IWONDR]

“It really doesn’t matter, as he is DEAD now and no doubt some LDS faithful WILL be baptised FOR him in one of their Temple Rites® - ‘Baptism for the Dead’.”

Elsie—You’re slipping in your understanding of the Mormon teachings. He was already baptized while living. Why would he need to be baptized again, after his death?

[Count of Monte Logan]

Elsie: You sure like Mormons. Have a chip on your shoulder or something?

[BunkDetector]

“If he had a Koran in his car, or was on jihadi websites, we’ll likely never be told.”

Crybaby nonsense.

[Zakeet]

Matthew Murray in 1998, pictured with his niece, in a photo released by his parents on Dec. 13, 2007.

More information on the shooter here.

Among other highlights

A family spokesman said Murray grew up in a loving home. But other interviews and what appear to be Murray’s own online ramblings portray a disturbed individual who resented his sheltered upbringing, had problems with his mother, heard voices in his head, felt rejected and abused — and yet appeared to be searching for a place to belong.

Murray sought refuge in everything from an online forum for recovering Pentecostals to an occult group.

Murray made postings to a site called Independent Spirits, a gathering place for those affected by a strict Christian home schooling curriculum.

Murray was painfully shy and had trouble socializing after growing up sheltered. Later, he exhibited extreme mood swings, spreading rumors about homosexuality at the YWAM center and performing dark rock songs by Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park.

After Murray rejected religion, he became fixated on people and groups that explore the dark side of spirituality, obsessing over the satanic lyrics of Swedish metal bands, for instance.

Murray attended events held by the Denver-based occult group Ad Astra Oasis during the last two years, but was turned down when he sought to become a member of the group.

Matthew Murray: A sick, tortured mind.

[pissant]

Yep, kinda like the jihadi in the LA airport wasn’t terrorism. Or the kid with the bomb vest in Oklahoma.

[pallis]

It figures that all of the anti Mormon vitriol going around right now will stir up a few kooks. I hope this tragedy was the worst of it.

[PAR35]

This is a MSM dig against a certain Pres candidate

Good attempt at spin, but KSL is owned by Bonneville International, which is owned by the Mormon church. So your statement is akin to saying Vatican News is anti - Catholic.

[technomage]

I’m sick of seeing it in this forum. Makes us all look like backward bigots

Wouldn't surpise me if some of these backward bigots as you say are actually DU trolls.

[colorado tanker]

I wouldn’t believe anything this nutburger said about his parents. Lots of what’s been published out of his rants is untrue. From all accounts his family are really good people.

[shekkian]

I’m sure Mitt Romney isn’t thrilled about hearing this little piece of news come out.

[PAR35]

The obvious attempt by this rag to link Mormons

Interesting characterization of a Mormon owned broadcaster.

[lepton]

We don't need to badmouth the Mormons over this nut case.

I don't see it as badmouthing. It more speaks to his having gotten away from the home religious environment he describes (correctly or not), and still had the same problems. That and his being 24, not 17, suggest that the problem lay within him, not on others around him.

[Badeye]

‘and aying that people here are bigots is ridiculous.’

I didn’t say all posters here at FR are ‘bigots’.

Lets be crystal clear, so as to avoid any irrational accusations, which you come very close to with this statement related to me.

I’ve seen some bigoted comments in this forum related to Romney and his religious point of view. I’ve seen more than one thread specifically about that alone.

I’ve seen posters make one comment on a Romney thread - ‘I won’t vote for a Mormon’.

Thats bigotry, by definition.

Thats not how all freepers feel, thats not even a significant percentage of freepers.

But it will be used at some time in the future to paint FR as a bigoted forum by those that simply detest this website.

Remember the hit piece O’Reilly did just a few weeks back?

Same thing can, and I believe WILL be done between now and next November, if Romney ends up the nominee. Watch and see.

It doesn’t help FR, it doesn’t help anyone running against Romney, it doesn’t help the GOP.

It does help those that would love to see this site disappear, however.

[Juan Medén]

See what happens when you give up caffine? . . . Coffee anyone?