CNN: "Female Security Guard Hailed as Hero"... "saved 'hundreds of lives'"

www.cnn.com ^ | December 10, 2007 | CNN

[Luke Skyfreeper]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- A Colorado Springs megachurch instituted security precautions after a shooting at a Denver area mission center earlier Sunday, saving "hundreds of lives" at the New Life Church, senior Pastor Brady Boyd said Monday.

A New Life parishioner acting as a security guard shot and killed a gunman who entered the church Sunday afternoon after he had gotten no more than 50 feet inside the building, Boyd said.

...

Boyd said the female security guard was a hero in preventing further bloodshed, rushing to confront the gunman just inside the church.

"She probably saved over a hundred lives," Boyd said of the guard, whom he said is not a law enforcement officer and used her personal weapon.

...

"Hundreds of lives were saved yesterday because of the plan that was put in place," said Boyd, who put the number of people on the church campus at the time as 7,000.

[purpleraine]

Over a thousand rounds of ammo in his back pack.

[archy]

Did you see her on the interview just now? Her name is Jeanne Assam. She's a Christian and single. (Hey, single male Freepers! Send your marriage proposal to her now, to be sure you're one of the first 10,000 she receives!) Also happens to be blonde, thin and pretty.

Guard's hands "didn't even shake" as she shot gunman

By Demetria Gallegos The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 12/10/2007 04:51:21 PM MST

The guard who saved untold lives at New Life Church gives credit to God for giving her cover, and boosting her firepower as she shot a heavily-armed gunman.

"I give credit to God. I say that very humbly," said Jeanne Assam. "God was with me, the whole time I was behind cover. Based on the firepower he had, compared to mine."

Assam spoke at a press conference in Colorado Springs this afternoon. She is one of about 12 armed security officers at New Life Church, according to Pastor Brady Boyd.

She responded when Matthew Murray, 24, began targeting church members in Colorado Springs, after a rampage hours earlier in Arvada in which two missionary training center staff members were killed and two were injured. Two teenagers at New Life were killed, and three others injured before Assam could shoot Murray.

She calmly described how the incident unfolded.

"I heard shots fired, there was chaos," she said. "There was a lot of people in the church. People were running away from shots fired.

"I saw him coming through the doors, and I took cover, and I waited for him to get closer...I identified myself, engaged him, and took him down."

She spoke unemotionally, but the first words she said were in tribute to the victims.

"I just want you to know it's an honor to be here and I want to extend my sympathy to the families of the victims and of the gunman. And I mean that very sincerely," she said.

"I just prayed for the holy spirit to guide me...my hands weren't even shaking."

[rabidralph]

But what a lesson she’ll have to teach next Sunday!

[archy]

Well, yeah, but isn't there a way to do less damage to the house? Think of the paint! Such a waste.

Possibly. But it would at least blister the paint about which you're so concerned....

[archy]

I took this picture in June of 2001. Fairly normal looking marker, but it had a great location. No map required to find it!

Thanks for that pic, Tom.

[Fido969]

Meanwhile, the SWAT team is taking cover...

"Tactical officers with the El Paso County Sheriff's department take up positions behind vehicles around the perimeter of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs."

[archy]

I dragged out my old Galco Miami Classic Shoulder holster for my Glock that takes two extra mags..That’s what? 52 rounds?

Horizontal carry rigs are favored by some, though the military has forbidden the use of them in Baghdad's *Green Zone.*

That does not deter some folks whio like the things, though, and find that they position the handgun underarm where it doesn't interfere with the simultaneous wear of an Interceptor vest.

[tarheelswamprat]

In addition to lives saved, this lady singlehandedly DESTROYED any arguments for more gun control arising out of these events, and further laid open the lie of any perceived merit to the concept of “gun free” zones.

Agreed. I expect this incident to figure prominently in next year's landmark Supreme Court 2nd Amendment case.

[Candor7]

She is a gunslinger. Stone cold righteous.

She has not forgotten the face of her father.

Glad there are a few left.

She deserves a presidential award.

Bless her.

Three shots, placed where there was no armor, and while moving.

She can camp in my yard any day.

[Stentor]

Bless her.

Three shots, placed where there was no armor, and while moving.

She can camp in my yard any day.

Amen.

[delacoert]

The unarmed rusher deserves equal credit in my book.

Absolutely right.

[AprilfromTexas]

I got it, thanks for the smile. ;^)

[2111USMC]

Thanks for the thanks!

I thought it was pretty obvious since the poster I was responding to made a funny sarcastic post.

Stay safe down there. (We’re getting ready for our third darned major ice storm up here in the midwest.)

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

All those in Iraq are heroes. They are all volunteers.

This woman is also a hero.

[AprilfromTexas]

can you find a fanny pack that looks manly and does the job?

Otherwise, you can probably get pc credits for the murse and no one has to be the wiser until you need to ‘bring the heat’.

[yield 2 the right]

Wait for the MSM to try to find some “skeletons” in her past and use that against her to pull her down......

[2111USMC]

LOL!

Now that I look at it again, even though he addressed it to me, he was refering to Post 183 that has been removed by the moderator. It wasn’t mine. I posted 230.

[tarheelswamprat]

...As she was covering him he started to handle a grenade. She said something like "Don't do it dude." He ignored her. She blew him away.

Well, that certainly sheds some new light on the pastor's comment that she might have saved "hundreds" of lives. A few grenades tossed into a packed congregation could likely kill that many.

[Travis McGee]

I’ll take a CZ52 over a Tokarev any day. Great caliber though either way. A real smoker.

[Travis McGee]

“You oughta rite a book.”