Tennessee Church Shooting

NCFUBAR

No motive released yet but evil doesn’t stop at the doors of the church ...

http://www.witn.com/content/news/POLICE-1-dead-7-victims-hurt-in-Tennessee-church-shooting-447432093.html

A masked gunman entered a church in Tennessee on Sunday and opened fire, killing at least one person and injuring seven others before apparently shooting himself, an official said.

Don Aaron, spokesman for the Metro Nashville Police Department, said the gunman arrived at the parking lot as services were ending at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in the neighborhood of Antioch. The suspect fatally shot a woman who was walking to her vehicle, then entered the rear of the church, and six people were shot. Aaron says a churchgoer who confronted the gunman was pistol-whipped by the suspect, who then shot himself.

The gunman and five others were treated for gunshot wounds at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Aaron said. One gunshot victim and the man who was pistol-whipped were taken to Skyline Medical Center for treatment.

Aaron said the condition of the suspect, in his 20s and from Rutherford County, wasn’t believed to be life-threatening. He was under police guard. His name was not immediately released.

And my Pastor didn't like some of the members carrying when he first came ... still doesn’t but he sure hasn’t said anything with the past year or so incidents around the country.

Teach

Hmmmmm- - - - -I see that the most dangerous place in Nashville is still getting between Don Aaron and a microphone or a TV camera! That camera hog was always the first one to get his mouth into overdrive, talking to any reporter who would listen every time a couple of gangs had a beef over a weekend and brought it to school on Monday morning. I was in the middle of about 300 kids who decided one of the cafeterias at my school was the ideal place to settle a few scores, and after the panic stopped, there was good buddy Don flapping his lip out in front of the school! He makes a white house press secretary look like a rank amateur!

Certain areas of Antioch have a huge concentration of Hispanics, legal and otherwise, and also a couple of very violent oriental gangs. It can be a very dangerous place, but shooting up a church is going a bit overboard, even for that neighborhood.
Jerry

Jayhawker

NCFUBAR wrote: »

No motive released yet but evil doesn’t stop at the doors of the church ...

http://www.witn.com/content/news/POLICE-1-dead-7-victims-hurt-in-Tennessee-church-shooting-447432093.html



And my Pastor didn't like some of the members carrying when he first came ... still doesn’t but he sure hasn’t said anything with the past year or so incidents around the country.

Interesting that they left out the part where the pistol-whipped guy was the one who armed himself and confronted the bad guy who then shot himself.
Can't be having that whole good guy with a gun thing getting any traction...

Elk creek

My pastor bought a gun from my LGS years ago. He assumes I carry when I'm ther, and asks me to. There are several others he asks too.

shush

"Tennessee church shooting halted by 'extraordinarily brave' usher...."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41382492
27 minutes ago

"The suspect shot and injured himself during a struggle with 22-year-old Robert Caleb Engle, who was struck in the face by the suspect's gun.

But Mr Engle managed to get back to his car and get his own gun to guard the injured attacker until police arrived.

Police said 42 people were in the church at the time of the attack.

A woman, named as 39-year-old Melanie Smith of Smyrna, was found dead in the car park near the suspect's car.

Nashville Police said the suspected attacker at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ was Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, who was originally from Sudan."

Hate crime?

NCFUBAR

No, not a hate crime ... the victims were white Christian Americans ... can’t be a hate crime or racism or such :roll:

Teach

That swishing noise you hear is the mainstream media trying to sweep this one under the rug before somebody figures out that a Sudanese immigrant just might also be a radical moose-limb!
Jerry

bobbyrlf3

While all this was happening, I had an embarrassing, yet thought-provoking incident at my own church. I was called into a room with a few church leaders to address a new job they wanted to give me serving my ward. As I went to sit down in a chair that was too narrow for a guy my size to sit in, I tried to wiggle my way into it without disturbing my EDC configuration. I failed, as my spare mag pouch got upended and dumped my spare mag onto the floor in their view.

I couldn't see his face at the time, but one of the other leaders said the head honcho had a shocked look on his face when he realized what it was. The other guy picked it up and handed it to me and those of us in the room had a good laugh, including the head honcho. As the meeting broke, he asked me if he could see what I was carrying. I figured the cat's out of the bag, so no harm in showing him. After he had a look, he told me that he's a gun owner and has no problem with guns, but the church's official policy is for members not to bring their guns inside the church. I told him I understood. While we were talking, a lady who had been in the room during all of this came over and interrupted, saying how glad she was that I carry while at church.

A few years back, her daughter had gone through an ugly divorce, and things were not good between the ex-husband and the daughter. One of their kids decided to be baptized, and there was some concern about some threats the ex had made about going through with it. My Bishop and I were asked by the family to provide some additional security for the ceremony. The lady expressed how comforted she felt knowing that I was there, and that I was armed.

Later, one of the other leaders came up to me and said what a kick he got out of the look of shock on the other guy's face when the mag dropped. He said he always knew I carried at church and was glad that I did. I told him about my conversation with the head honcho; he said "And to that I'd say I understand and I'm going to carry anyway".

I knew the church's policy on carrying at church, and decided to do so anyway. Now, I've been asked by one of the leaders not to carry. I figure if I'm going to keep carrying, I'll have to be more careful about how and where I sit.

What do you guys think?

CHIRO1989

I think if you think you need to carry, then you should. The LEO's in our church just formed a committee this year to be an emergency response team, they were the go to guys for dealing with stuff, they wanted some help, their perspective is interesting to say the least.

shush

bobbyrlf3 wrote: »

.................. Now, I've been asked by one of the leaders not to carry. I figure if I'm going to keep carrying, I'll have to be more careful about how and where I sit.

What do you guys think?

Amen to that mate. :up:

Teach

bobbyrlf3 wrote: »

What do you guys think?

Here's what my response would be- - - - - -"I'll take this up with a higher power- - - - - -I'll let you know what the Lord thinks about it after I do a little praying!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6voAw66Bxko
:jester:
Jerry

NCFUBAR

Been thru 3 Pastors and on my 4th, the Methodist Conference likes to rotate Pastors every so often, and the current one wasn’t to happy to find out some of the members carry. He hadn’t been there long and made some statement to me one morning when I was setting up the A/V and setting mic levels (his wireless one) to which I kinda stepped back and told him he needs to know who he is talking to because “Concealed means Concealed” and the next person might not be as forgiving as me. He is in his mid 30’s and only had been at one church prior so his radar wasn’t working to good that morning. The Trustees and Council both know there is a group of “in tune members” from ushers to those who count the collections to those who open the Church for fellowship and services and basically it is not going to change especially with the increase in problems over the past couple years.

zorba

NCFUBAR wrote: »

Been thru 3 Pastors and on my 4th, the Methodist Conference likes to rotate Pastors every so often...

I was wondering if they still did that - my Grandfather was a Methodist minister - he got moved every few years.

tennmike

Teach wrote: »

Here's what my response would be- - - - - -"I'll take this up with a higher power- - - - - -I'll let you know what the Lord thinks about it after I do a little praying!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6voAw66Bxko
:jester:
Jerry

I don't know, Jerry. With all the churches getting hit this song would be a bit more appropriate, and timely, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOPvtVZwo8

zorba

tennmike wrote: »

I don't know, Jerry. With all the churches getting hit this song would be a bit more appropriate, and timely, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOPvtVZwo8

Yep - that works!

bobbyrlf3

Thanks for the responses. I figured you guys would agree with me. Now I gotta find a better-fitting pouch for my XD mags......

Linefinder

Teach wrote: »

Here's what my response would be- - - - - -"I'll take this up with a higher power- - - - - -I'll let you know what the Lord thinks about it after I do a little praying!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6voAw66Bxko
:jester:
Jerry

Yep.....gotta agree with that.

Mike

Fisheadgib

bobbyrlf3 wrote: »

Thanks for the responses. I figured you guys would agree with me. Now I gotta find a better-fitting pouch for my XD mags......

Plural? I don't expect to get in a firefighter in church so I only carry one spare mag in my back pocket for my shield.

bisley

bobbyrlf3 wrote: »

I figure if I'm going to keep carrying, I'll have to be more careful about how and where I sit.

What do you guys think?

With a pretty good pocket holster, the Shield can be concealed fairly well in a front pocket. I carry mine that way, and it does print somewhat, but were I so inclined, I believe I could probably find a way to alter my dressing habits to conceal it a little better. Also, there is a rig called the SmartCarry that works well for deep concealment. You can't get it out quickly, unless standing, but it would probably still work OK for most circumstances you might encounter at church. It also provides some protection if someone tries to knee you in the balls.

On the other hand, you could just tell the guy that you have always carried and it caused zero problems, and that you will continue to do so, wherever you attend church. In my experience, there are a lot of busybodies at church that want to sit in judgement of other members, and it's best that they know you expect them to tend to their own business and let you tend to yours.

Please take this last opinion with a grain of salt - I have not attended church for nearly 50 years, so it's possible that I could be slightly out of touch. :jester:

CHIRO1989

bisley wrote: »

With a pretty good pocket holster, the Shield can be concealed fairly well in a front pocket. I carry mine that way, and it does print somewhat, but were I so inclined, I believe I could probably find a way to alter my dressing habits to conceal it a little better. Also, there is a rig called the SmartCarry that works well for deep concealment. You can't get it out quickly, unless standing, but it would probably still work OK for most circumstances you might encounter at church. It also provides some protection if someone tries to knee you in the balls.

On the other hand, you could just tell the guy that you have always carried and it caused zero problems, and that you will continue to do so, wherever you attend church. In my experience, there are a lot of busybodies at church that want to sit in judgement of other members, and it's best that they know you expect them to tend to their own business and let you tend to yours.

Please take this last opinion with a grain of salt - I have not attended church for nearly 50 years, so it's possible that I could be slightly out of touch. :jester:

You would be a welcome addition to helping with any church youth group.

shush

bisley wrote: »

................Please take this last opinion with a grain of salt - I have not attended church for nearly 50 years, so it's possible that I could be slightly out of touch. :jester:

Yep!

We gots the roof on now.

zorba

shush wrote: »

Yep!

We gots the roof on now.

That thar's funny!

bobbyrlf3

Fisheadgib wrote: »

Plural? I don't expect to get in a firefight in church so I only carry one spare mag in my back pocket for my shield.

I don't expect to get into a firefight either. I carry spare magazines in case I'm wrong.

Plural, as in the XD takes two different mags; one is a 10-round, the other is a 13-round with a grip extension. My solution has to work with either mag.

bobbyrlf3

bisley wrote: »

On the other hand, you could just tell the guy that you have always carried and it caused zero problems, and that you will continue to do so, wherever you attend church. In my experience, there are a lot of busybodies at church that want to sit in judgement of other members, and it's best that they know you expect them to tend to their own business and let you tend to yours.

I've decided on a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to it. I just won't talk about it, and be more careful about mag retention and chairs. I already carry the XD IWB, so that's not an issue. I think I just need to carry the spare mag IWB as well, instead of OWB like I've been doing.

Thanks for your insight.

NCFUBAR

When the Romans persecuted Christians knowing friend from foe was not always easy so their “don’t ask don’t tell” response was to the fish mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish friends from foes. According to one ancient story, when a Christian met a stranger in the road, the Christian sometimes drew one arc of the simple fish outline in the dirt. If the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they were in good company. In my Church there is a small group who are “in tune” with each other, and likely others, who carry because of our beliefs of evil don’t stop at the sanctuary door. We have no secret sign but we do have a knowing nod. I have said before our current Pastor was not happy with firearms being brought in to the Church (and in fact the Methodist Church as a whole frowns upon it) but when the Trustees and Council have members “in tune” things pass under the radar. In the many years I have carried along with others in the Church nobody has ever had to act and I would guess even caught clear sight of someone’s carry gun because ... Concealed means Concealed.