Comments on: Colorado Church Shootings (Updated x3)

By: Terry Coker

Terry Coker — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:48:41 +0000

I heard the female volunteer CCW holder at that church had a law enforcement background. I’m a retired sheriff’s detective. I carry concealed in Church because I know the violent mentally ill are attracted to Churches. Especially paranoid schizophrenics. I worked those cases in the past.
A partner of mine was attending Mass at a Catholic Church in CA when a guy came in and shot the priest at the altar and the deacon. My friend had his duty peice and shot the gunman dead. Mentally ill background on the shooter.

By: Another Drew

Another Drew — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:45:54 +0000

Steve #30…
She did the right thing, but she might want to work on the old Mozambique/Rhodesian triple-tap. That takes the body-armor/ammo vest out of the equation.

By: SPQR

SPQR — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:16:02 +0000

There is currently a press conference by Colorado Springs police and Arvada police on local TV news that is confirming the above.

The Colo Springs police say that the suspect Matthew Murray was carrying over 1,000 rounds of ammunition as well as a rifle and a handgun. There were “forensics” matches between evidence at both scenes, ie., Arvada and Colorado Springs. Evidently the evidence is handgun shell casings at Arvada matching the handgun recovered at Colorado Springs. Also a match of the physical description of the gunman at Arvada.

By: jim2

jim2 — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:12:21 +0000

JayHub -

I agree, also. I am always awed at what heights some individuals reach in times of crisis.

By: DRJ

DRJ — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:34:15 +0000

I agree, JayHub. What a powerful story.

By: SPQR

SPQR — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:33:11 +0000

Depends on what they mean by “smoke grenades” Jay, there are several pyrotechnics easily obtained by civilians for emergency signaling purposes that might meet that description.

I agree with you with respect to the woman, she has saved a lot of lives.

By: JayHub

JayHub — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:58:00 +0000

31. Especially because of this story:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_7683781

By: JayHub

JayHub — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:55:15 +0000

I’m voting for the Presidential Medal of Freedom for this woman.

By: steve

steve — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:47:01 +0000

From KUSA, KOAA and CNN:

It was the same shooter in both incidents, 23-year-old Matthew Murray, who had served on a mission with the Arvada Youth Ministry a couple years ago and had had a falling out. Murray had written several hostile and antagonistic letters before showing up and killing two staffers early Sunday.

He drove 75 miles down to the New Life Church in Colorado Springs (Ted Haggard’s old ministry where ‘Youth With a Mission’ has a satellite), strapped around the waist with several hundred rounds of ammunition. He threw a smoke grenade into the building just as the main service was ending during the noon hour.

Murray then ran to his car and drives around to another side of the campus, shooting into a vehicle in the parking lot, killing two girls (sisters).

He then heads back into the building and tries to herd everyone into a narrow hallway where he is confronted by the woman security guard. She fires one round into his chest and he falls down. The ammo belts saved his life, according to local media reports. She yells, “Drop your weapon, drop it now!!” Murray reaches for what she believed was a grenade and she fires the fatal rounds.

The 23-year-old came from a religious family who had home-schooled him. The motive for all this is – as always – uncertain. I’d be interested to learn where this clown got grenades, at the very least.

By: Pablo

Pablo — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:38:14 +0000

They have a security forces of 10-20 volunteers because of their 300,000 sq ft campus that has people there all the time.

So, these aren’t necessarily professionals, just armed members of the community?