This man is the true definition of a hero. I hope he gets some therapy to deal with the trauma he went through. He knew so many who died in that church and he saved countless lives. God Bless this amazing brave man!
This preacher Wood ought to learn to keep things like that under his Stetson.
Rather than agonize over it, he should think about that fact that he was an instrument of God who compelled him to take action to prevent further loss of life.
I have never ended anyone’s life, for any reason.
There are times when this would be clearly justified, but to have ended someone’s life in such a direct and dramatic manner would bother me too for quite a while. He has much support around him, so this man, and the second citizen should both recover from the trauma over time. I don’t hear much from that second man to took the shooter down. Probably best to go private for a long while.
I hope Willeford understands that God put him in that exact place at that exact time to use in ending the murderous rampage. Just as he put a young David (before he was king) in the right spot to slay Goliath and save many lives that would have been lost if the Jews and Philistines had engaged in the battle that was brewing. Prayers out.
Commend him to the Lord with your prayers.
Then make him an Honorary Texas Ranger
I’ve often thought I could kill anyone threatening the life of my loved ones without a second thought, but braver men than me have been haunted by it so I doubt it’s as simple as that. Prayers for the solace and comfort of Stephen Willeford. Mr. Willeford, you did a brave and righteous thing, and saved far more lives than you took.
He did what was necessary. Hero or not, he is a good man.
God bless this fine man.
“I was scared for me, and I was scared for every one of them,” he said of the people at the church. “And I was scared for my own family that lived less than a block away. I’m no hero. I am not. I think my God, my Lord, protected me and gave me the skills to do what needed to be done. And I just wish I could have gotten there faster.”
In other words, he was a hero.
See One people have said ,”Why didn’t God interevene?” Well, he did. This man was his instrument.
I understand why Willeford is feeling very out-of-sorts. Any reasonably moral man, upon inflicting an injury or death upon another, will ALWAYS question whether he did the right thing, whether he could have done something differently that would have prevented such harm. Such are the questions that moral people ask themselves, knowing that they aren’t perfect.
However, I believe that he should take GREAT comfort in the fact that as soon as he confronted that monster, the shooting of genuine innocents stopped. There were over 20 people who were wounded who, if Willeford had not shown up and started shooting, would have been executed at point-blank range, probably within the next 2-3 minutes after that. Who else might have been murdered, in the absence of Willeford, is unknown...but there was at least a real possibility that others would have died (if no one else, at least police officers would have likely been in a firefight with him at some later point).
I know that I’m speaking from the cheap seats here, but it seems pretty evident to me that Willeford was put in the place he was, at the time he was, with the training and weapon he had, for the purpose of saving those 20-odd people from certain death. The remainder of their lives, and the lives of any descendants of those people conceived after this incident will be credit to his actions on that day.
I hope and pray that G-d gives Mr. Willeford all of the comfort and peace of mind that he needs to deal with this incident. He deserves no less (and, probably, a great deal more).
He needs to be told, “You did not kill a ‘man’, you killed an animal.”.....................
This nothing more than self-destruction. Folks do this.
1. Think about the lives saved...
2. Do not mourn saving them.
He did not kill a man(an autopsy indicated that a third shot — a self-inflicted wound to the head — likely killed Kelley) but he did saved countless lives.
God Bless this man!
I am praying for this hero right now as we speak.
God chooses and uses many people to work with and through.
None were perfect, for none can be, only Jesus Christ fulfilled that position.
One need not travel back too far into the New Testament to find leaders (some might even call them “hero’s”) God has used to accomplish His Will.
Recall the apostles Peter and Paul; Peter the profane coward, who ran away and denied Christ three times and Paul, known first as Saul, who as an esteemed member of the Sanhedrin, tracked down believers (even children) took them to be tried and convicted and stoned to death!
As Saul, participated in the stoning of Stephen (some say did more than hold their cloaks) and other martyrs, was forgiven and used by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles, throughout the then known world, facing beatings, stonings and prison, to die by the hands of Caesar in Rome.
Saul, now known as Paul, wrote the lion’s share of the New Testament, as dictated, of course, by God, Himself!
So yes, God uses many flawed men (and women) to accomplish His Will!
He also uses non-believers and pagans to carry it our (King Cyrus, in just one instance,)
military chaplain ping:
“Wood — a retired Church of Christ minister and Air Force chaplain.” Rev Wood stopped the Southern Springs shooter.
May the Lord bless him, and keep him.
5.56mm
I mentioned on a previous thread that this gentleman will need counseling based on his constantly changing moods throughout the interview with Crouder. He even admitted it himself....
Mr. Willeford is indeed a hero but he will pay a mental price for it for the rest of his life. He has my prayers and my gratitude for his bravery........