Mormon missionary shot and killed in Chesapeake, Virginia

The Virginian Pilot ^ | 1/2/2005 | Jim Washington

[gregwest]

CHESAPEAKE - A 21-year-old Mormon missionary died Monday night after he and his partner were shot while going door-to-door in the Deep Creek area.

The other missionary, age 19, was in serious condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Monday night, Chesapeake police said.

Police did not release the victims’ identities.

According to police the two missionaries were walking in the 2600 block of Elkhart Street off George Washington Highway about 6 p.m. when they were approached by another man. The man shot them both and fled on foot.

One of the victims ran to The Charity House, a nearby nursing home, to seek help.

Police described the suspect as a black male, about 5’10’’ wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. He was last seen heading toward Janice Lynn Court, which backs up to Elkhart.

The two missionaries had bicycles, but were not riding them at the time.

A group from the Mormon church, known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, waited in the consultation room at the Norfolk General emergency room Monday night. They declined to comment.

According to the church’s official web site there are more than 60,000 Mormon missionaries, mostly young men and women who volunteer to spread the church’s message for one and a half to two years all over the world, at their own expense.

There are apartment buildings at the end of Elkhart Street, and some residents could not leave or return to their homes for a time Monday night.

Police, working in a moderate rain, had the street blocked off a short way off George Washington Highway.

“This is close to home,’’ said resident Bobby Gatling. He has lived on the block for two years. “Nothing like this has ever happened here before.’’

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Reach Jim Washington at (757) 446-2536 or jim.washington@pilot online.com.

[BipolarBob]

You know, this thread should be about a fellow person who was shot down and murdered. Theology bashing can be wasted on another thread if you are so inclined.

[Dick Vomer]

as I was raised Episcopalian, I sure do have some trouble with their new doctrine towards gays in the pulpit. More devilish than bigamists in the pulpit.

...that's just too funny... can I ask which "new" doctrine towards gays in the pulpit could possibly trouble an Episcopalian?

So then are "we" the Catholics correct that my wife and kids are probably going to "that other warm place" since they're not Catholics?

What do I think? ... mmmmmm, don't have a clue. I'm just trying to stumble and fumble my way towards giving everything back to the Lord that he has given me..... which is, everything. Knowing that I could never come close.

[Redleg Duke]

I haven't seen anything. I don't think this is a story that the MSM wants to run with. If it were the other way around, it would be all we would see.

[Redleg Duke]

Smith was a defrocked Mason. He was thrown out for trying to convert Free Masonry into a religion. Masonry is not a religion and does not attempt to displace religion, but rather encourages the brethren to be active members of their own faith.

Now, I know this will offend all of you Mason-bashers out there, but that is the truth.

[Dick Vomer]

When a critic of mormonism, such as myself, points out fallacies within mormon teaching, it isn't because we want to insult mormons. We want you to have what we have: The guarantee of eternal life in heaven with God.

wow. that's neat.

You "know" and have a "guarantee". Me, I'm not so sure. About me that is. As for you, the way you're just letting all that Charity and Humility just shine through towards those of the Mormon faith should put you in good with some of the others on this thread.

I don't think I'd be able to dedicate 2 years of my life to professing my faith door to door on bike or foot. Subject myself to have to defend my faith to open threats and as this young man did.... die for his belief.

I'm trying to imagine who the Lord holds closer, this young man dying innocently trying to do what he believes is the Lord's work.....or you? I don't know you. I'm sure in your mind and with the Humility you've expressed, that you are obviously the one the Lord holds closest.

Me, I'm thinking that when all is said and done, the young man did his duty and was called home. That his life and death, and the judgment of those aren't known by anyone. We don't know or can ever know what is truly in each persons soul. We only know our own. I'm glad that you're comfortable with your "guarantee".... I'm not sure of anything other than I'm not sure.

[Manic_Episode]

"Mormon missionary shot and killed"

==============================================

I usually just tell them I'm not interested.

[OldLawStudent]

lol

[lady lawyer]

On the Salt Lake news this morning, they said that the young men were shot because they witnessed the perp shooting another man. They also said that there is concern for the surviving missionary for that reason.

[seemoAR]

I agree with you 150%(watched Morey Povich several times). I am not Mormon. I do respect them greatly for the sacrifice that they make in their lives.I will not start bashing other religions on a thread about young men being murdered by a thug. There is a time and a place for everything.

[lady lawyer]

LDS Missionary From Utah Dies in Virginia Shooting
January 3rd, 2006 @ 8:35am
Brooke Walker reporting

A Bountiful man serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died overnight in Virginia. He and another missionary were shot after witnessing a shooting.

Elder Morgan W. Young, 21, from Bountiful, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Doctors treated him, but Young's injuries were too severe. He died early this morning.

Joshua Heidbrink, 19, from Greeley Colorado, was shot in the neck and collarbone. He's in the hospital in good condition.

The shooting happened in the city of Chesapeake, just after 6:00 Eastern Time last night. Police say the missionaries were going door-to-door when the whole thing happened.

We spoke with Elder Heidbrink's uncle on the phone. Craig Heidbrink says his nephew and Elder Morgan saw a man apparently shoot someone else on the street. Heidbrink says that man pretended to be shot, but actually was not hit. Then the suspect turned and fired at the elders.

Craig Heidbrink/Victim's Uncle: "He shot Joshua first and Joshua knocked him down, crumbled. Then he shot the other guy once in the face and somewhere else. I'm not sure where the other shot was."

Heidbrink says the crime was not racially or religiously motivated. He tells KSL the missionaries were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Because he's a key murder witness, police now fear Elder Heidbrink could be in danger.

Craig Heidbrink/Victim's Uncle: "They've got a 24 hour guard on him. They're just worried that guy's going to try and get him."

Heidbrink's parents are trying to get a flight to Virginia. Apparently all flights are booked, and Heidbrink says the Church is trying to help the family get to their son.

The LDS Church issued a statement of condolence this morning saying, "Our hearts and prayers go out to these young men and their families."

The two men were serving in the Richmond Virginia mission. Elder Heidbrink had served for about two months. Elder Young had served for almost two years.

Residents describe the neighborhood where the crime happened as a quiet street, an area without many problems. The shooting comes as a shock to residents who live in the area. They say nothing like this has ever happened on their street before.

But a very different and a very frightening scene unfolded last night.

Tracy Seutter/ Heard the Shots: "We just had New Year's. I thought it was firecrackers."

Unfortunately not firecrackers, but gunshots.

After being shot, Elder Heidbrink went to a nearby nursing home to seek help. Both missionaries were taken to the hospital where Elder Young died overnight. Again, Elder Heidbrink is reported in good condition.

The shooter is still on the run.

[fish hawk]

I stopped looking into their "religion" when I read that Jesus and Lucifer were brothers and that they themselves can become gods. Sounds to me that Wolfgang isn't that much wrong.

[Californiajones]

Interesting bit of Mason/Mormon history. Do you have a source I could read? As for Masonry not being a "religion" I tend to agree, but bowing the knee to anything but the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, as I hear is required in Masonic rite, is strictly forbidden by both Old and New Testaments.

Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all they heat all thy mind and all thy soul and have no other gods before me.

That is the first commandment. Our God is a jealous God. Even of fraternal organizations that make up odd sounding rituals that give lip service to praying to other gods or beings. Like the Masons. And my family was Eastern Star, all dead before I knew or understood how uncool it was with Jesus.

[Alamo-Girl]

There is a time and a place for everything.

Indeed.

I hope you don’t mind my elbowing in here – but I would like to remind all the posters and lurkers that way back in 1999, Larry Gene Ashbrook entered a prayer service in a Baptist church in Ft. Worth and gunned down several kids and a counselor before killing himself.

Certainly adherents of many different confessions reached out in love and compassion and prayed for all the families. They were there at the community wide services. But they did not challenge the doctrines of those who were grieving. Nor did they challenge Baptist beliefs here on Free Republic when the news broke on the News forum.

Likewise, this thread is not the place for such challenges. It is the place for compassion, love, intercessory prayer and watching the news unfold – just as it was for the Baptists in Ft. Worth so many years ago.

The place for comparing doctrines – with mutual respect – is the Religion forum.

[Californiajones]

Well I got as far as "He shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem"

Uh.

No one in the Mormon church ever teach you of the significance of Jesus being born -- NOT in Jerusalem -- but in Bethlehem?

Bethlehem -- where King David had tended his sheep before being anointed by Samuel?

Great study showing the hand of the True God at work in picking before the beginning of time where His only Begotten Son would be born. Mary and Joseph, both being direct descendent's of King David, had to go to Bethlehem for the census that night.

This phony counterfeit "Angel Moroni" with this weird twisting of the old and New testaments in the Book of Mormon is really unreal every time I read it. Anyone who knows the Word can pick apart the book of Mormon in a snap. I encourage all Mormons to check and doublecheck what they hold as sacred creed -- as again -- Paul really castigates False Teaching and False Teachers in the real Bible.

With all the pixie dust Smith was smokin', these "scriptures" from the Book of Mormon read like a poor man's approximation of the real Word. The "Spirit" would never make such an obvious mistake as to say Mary gave birth at Jerusalem.

Smith must have played hookie the day his Sunday School teacher discussed Bethlehem and its spiritual significance.

[Californiajones]

Babe, I didn't say I was an Episcopalian. Episcopalians don't know the Word like I do. I said I was raised Episcopalian and it troubles me that they have a new doctrine of putting gays in the pulpit. Where have you been?


The only assurance any of us Christians have of being saved, no matter what Christian (not Mormon) denomination we are in, is as Jesus said -- we must be born again -- meaning we must realize that all of our futile efforts at being "good" is dirt in God's sight, that only He can be holy and we must take on His holiness in order to approach Him. Thus the need for the shed blood of Jesus that taketh away the sins of the world and our sins.

The most interesting scripture in the real Bible is the one that says "But Lord Lord, we cast out demons in your name, we prophesied in your name! But Jesus will say to them -- get away from me you wicked men -- I never knew you, you sons of lawlessness!"

That's the scariest verse for evangelicals, charismatics, born agains, Catholics, Presbyterians etc., in the Bible. Why? Because Jesus promised his followers that we would do all the works that He did while upon the earth -- heal the sick, raise the dead, prophesy, speak in tongues, baptize for the remission of sin etc.. But even these WORKS don't mean squat with Jesus unless we know Him and listen to Him.

How do we know God? Well, John says that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the Word WAS GOD. ... and then he wrote... and Word BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.

So, the Word is a living thing. It, in some metaphysical sense, is the Lord. It will never pass away. We can hang our hats on it. So, if we seek eternal life, we must know the Word and do it, and have that friend to friend relationship with Jesus.

This discussion is entirely alien to most Mormons I know because by the very act of being Mormon, they discount the Word of God in the old and new testaments. Thus, they cut themselves off from true faith and salvation.

So Dick, don't sell yourself short. We are to be approved by God, He expects us to be intelligent believers, not just drones sitting in the pews. He expects us, actually, to be warriors for the cause of Christ. A lot of Freepers already do this. We are to take the sword of His spirit the word of God and do battle -- in Love -- and not against each other -- but against every ARGUMENT that comes up against the true word of God.

Unless we know the word, we cannot do as Paul said, we cannot bring down strongholds of arguments (a spiritual stronghold is an argument) that resists the knowledge of God.

The word is an important thing. It's like Napoleon said when he was locked up on that island with a Bible and he threw it aside one night in fright --

"That book is ALIVE!"

Yep. It sure is.

[frgoff]

I would like to think not, but after being invited to see a viewing of the "Godmakers" and hearing the teens around me talking about getting a shotgun and killing Mormons by the end of the film, you have to wonder.

[frgoff]

You'd think some people could put aside their bias for a situation like this.

They serve their master.

[steadyhandsjazz]

I dont know why you are so bitter against the mormon church, but you just need to know when and where to post. You just need to take your bitterness some place else. This is a post about a missionary being killed and all you do is bash his beliefs.

[Palladin]

I agree.

What tremendous courage these two missionaries had...courage that can come only from the Holy Spirit.

Joshua fought back, even after being severely wounded, and managed to run to a nearby nursing home to get help for his Brother missionary.

I hope justice prevails in this case.

It reminds me of the Mormon family who were visiting NYC a few years ago when set upon by the same kind of scum as this shooter. It happened in the NYC subway. The young son of the Mormon couple stepped in an set himself between his mother and the attackers, and paid with his life.

It points up the juxtaposition of two cultures in our society, one, the culture of life, and the other, the culture of death.