Church Shooting--anti-LGBT Hate Crime?

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

A developing story. No one seems to know for sure what the motive of the shooter was, but the church is a Unitarian church that is very openly LGBT affirming. The death toll right now is two with several more in critical condition. No children were injured.

Box Turtle has a number of links in it's story here:

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/

Steven Webster

[wmanion]

Steve,
Thanks for this article. I had seen today on he news (FOX) because that is what my brother watches the whole time he is up unless there is a Cubs baseball game on, (how I wish baseball lasted all year and they had ten games a day) but I did not see any reason suggested for the shooting. Regardless, whether it was a hate crime or not, it is still a very sad story and a shame that this happened. We need to pray that God gives them strength and they are nor frightened away from their mission of inclusion. I would also like to say thanks for the turtle site. I have never seen it before and there was a lot of other information there that I found quite interesting. I have bookmarked it...it seems like a site where one can attain a lot of beneficial information.

Bill

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

There is more on Box Turtle Bulletin this morning:

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/

It seems the police have a "multi-page handwritten letter" that is being described as the shooter's "manifesto" and that it explains his motive for the shooting. The police have not released the contents of the letter as yet.

Reports say he had alot of ammunition and that he went into the church with the intent to kill every one inside.

Steven Webster

[Matt Algren]

From the Knoxville News (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/church-shooting-police-find-manifesto-suspects-car/):

Jim D. Adkisson, 58, of Powell wrote a four-page letter in which he described his feelings and why he committed the shooting, Owen said.

The letter, recovered from Adkisson's 2004 Ford Escape parked in the church's parking lot at 2931 Kingston Pike, indicates he had been planning the shooting for about a week.

From local TV station WBIR (http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=61322&catid=2):

A neighbor told 10News Adkisson described himself as a "Confederate" and a "believer in the old South." She says Adkisson self-identified in this way to her on more than one occasion, but that she didn't know what he meant by it.

Anybody recognize the logo on his shirt? It might be nothing, but I'd imagine that if I were going to do something like this my wardrobe would contain my message.

http://media.knoxnews.com/kns/content/img/photos/2008/07/27/072708shootingperp-crop_t600.jpg

[Steven E. Webster]

Anybody recognize the logo on his shirt? It might be nothing, but I'd imagine that if I were going to do something like this my wardrobe would contain my message.



Matt,
Now that would be sterotypical "gay" thinking---"Let me see, what would be the appropriate thing to wear to a shooting?":)

Seriously, Box Turtle is now reporting that a Press Conference by the Police suggested that the church was targeted because it was "liberal" and the shooter was against the "liberal movement." There was some suggestion that the church was targeted because of some recent news reporting about the church.

Is "liberal" just a code word for "gay-friendly" in this case? Stay tuned!

Steven Webster

[Matt Algren]

Matt,
Now that would be sterotypical "gay" thinking---"Let me see, what would be the appropriate thing to wear to a shooting?":)For goodness sake, he could at least have combed his hair!

I hate to think what might have happened. Two people are dead, and it could have been so much worse.

And here's the reporting from the Box Turtle Bulletin. I do indeed think that "liberal" means "gay-accepting" in this case. IIRC the church had just recently put up a sign welcoming gays to their church.

Knoxville police chief Sterling Owen has just concluded a press conference, in which he provided a few additional details about yesterday’s mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

According to chief Owen, Jim David Adkisson had spent at least a week planning the attack, based on the four-page letter that was recovered from Adkisson’s vehicle. The shotgun was purchased about a month ago. The police spokesman said that Adkisson was frustrated over not being able to find an job, and that he”hated the liberal movement.” Owen targeted TVUUC because of some “recent publicity” the church had received regarding its “liberal stance on things,” but he would not provide any further details. They are investigating the crime as a possible hate crime.

Chief owen credited the actions of church members who tacked the shooter, saying that they saved many lives. It appeared the shooter wanted to kill as many people as possible and did not expect to leave the church alive. Two congregants were killed in the attack. Five remain hospitalized; four are in critical condition and one serious.

[Matt Algren]

From Greg McKendry's foster son. (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/27/foster-son-let-people-know-greg-mckendry-hero/)

The 16-year-old foster son of Greg McKendry confirmed this afternoon that his father died in the shooting this morning at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

"Just make sure you let people know that Greg McKendry is a hero, an absolute hero," Taylor Bessette said as he emerged from a side entrance at the church about three hours after the shooting.

Bessette said he was in foster care and was taken in by Greg and Barbara McKendry four or five months ago. He said McKendry acted as a shield to protect the children participating in the play.

"He stood in front of the bullets and … actually took the bullets to save the child," he said.

[Rick336]

Anybody recognize the logo on his shirt? It might be nothing, but I'd imagine that if I were going to do something like this my wardrobe would contain my message.

The logo on his shirt is the Tennessee state flag.


Rick

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV now states that hatred of gays as well as liberals was indicated in the shooter's letter.

The shotgun-wielding suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was motivated by a hatred of “the liberal movement,” and he planned to shoot until police shot him, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV said this morning.

Jim D. Adkisson, 58, of Powell wrote a four-page letter in which he stated his “hatred of the liberal movement,” Owen said. “Liberals in general, as well as gays.”

Here's a link to a local Knoxville news source:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/church-shooting-police-find-manifesto-suspects-car/

Steven Webster

[shawneos]

I just don't understand how so much hatred can grow in a person to walk into a church where 25 children are performing a musical and open fire intending to kill whoever he manages to hit. I do understand that God has his reasons for everything but I think that Satan had his hands deep into the shooter's soul. It's just tragic and useless. My prayers are with the victims and everybody else involved in the senseless shooting.

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

Here's more info about the background of the shooter.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/woman-accused-shooter-hated-anyone-different-him/

Steven Webster

[tdogg]

yes, Mr McKendry put himself in front of the shooter to take the bullets instead of others. My heart goes out to his family. He is truly a hero.

Maybe this sounds harsh, but I have to think part of the blame lies on those propagating hatred for GLBT (among other social and political issues).

[pnggrad79]

It is amazing that one can't even go to church to find peace, and communion with God, without fear of some deranged idiot coming in and violently imposing his warped beliefs on them.

The point is-if you don't like that church's beliefs, there are a million others you can try. Leave them alone!

Who died and made this guy GOD? Who is he to think he has the right to kill gays and lesbians because HE thinks they are wrong? When did the deranged become judge and jury? Unbelievable.

[Vanessa White]

I send out my prayers to the families of the victims, of those injured, and for the family of the shooter as well. No matter where the hatred comes from, it only intensifies my desire to move forward and educate as many people as possible about who we are, instead of all of the misinformation that seems to circulate around............

:pray::pray::pray::love:

[Matt Algren]

It is amazing that one can't even go to church to find peace, and communion with God, without fear of some deranged idiot coming in and violently imposing his warped beliefs on them.
He wasn't even interested in imposing his beliefs on people, just killing them.

It'll be interesting to see his four page letter.

[keltic63]

He wasn't even interested in imposing his beliefs on people, just killing them.

It'll be interesting to see his four page letter.

they found some books:

[Knoxville Police Department Investigator Steve Still] seized three books from Adkisson's home, including "The O'Reilly Factor," by television commentator Bill O'Reilly; "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder," by radio personality Michael Savage; and "Let Freedom Ring," by political pundit Sean Hannity.

[Vanessa White]

That is some scary reading material........:eek:

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,
Here's a link with information about helping the victims with financial contributions.

http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/21416/how-you-can-help-the-knoxville-unitarian-church-victims/

Steven Webster

[NathanATX]

Such a tragedy. One of our local UU churches hosted a memorial vigil last night.

A friend of mine, the worship leader at MCC Knoxville, shared his heartache with me at the pain the TVUU church was experiencing. That church let MCC Knoxville use their facilities for worship for a number of years.

We hold them in the Light.

[RedneckDyke]

what a jerk! He chooses a UU church to attack because he figured that UU's are hippies who are pacifists who won't fight back. Ruddy coward. Just once I'd like to see one of these jerkos try to attack a gay biker bar. they'd get thier butts whipped.

I'm sorry, I just get really mad at stuff like this. It's good that I'm not on any of the Soulforce demo teams, because nonviolence is not something i'd be good at. :mad:

[Gennee]

I just don't understand how so much hatred can grow in a person to walk into a church where 25 children are performing a musical and open fire intending to kill whoever he manages to hit. I do understand that God has his reasons for everything but I think that Satan had his hands deep into the shooter's soul. It's just tragic and useless. My prayers are with the victims and everybody else involved in the senseless shooting.

Some people have it all their lives. When economic downturn and loss of job thrown into the mix, this person was lashing out at those he blames. As an African American it's happened to my people in the past. It's really sad.

Gennee

:'(

[Sere-Kun]

I regret not being able to attend my church's special service for the lives that were lost in the shooting of the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Knoxville, Tennessee.

[Unmasked]

You know, it's been a long time since I last cried...this got me...I'm listening to There's a Wideness in God's Mercy on the videos page. Hearing his words and reading this has made me break down. I'm not a UU (mostly because there are no congregations near me), but UU churches represent a place where I can be safe, and where people like me can run to and seek refuge. Seeing this story and realizing how much we are hated and despised by people...it's too much sometimes.

May they all rest peacefully, dwelling forever in Paradise.