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."