At least 7 people injured by gunfire in church

[Howlingwolf]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25872864

At least 7 people injured by gunfire in church

A man reportedly began shooting inside a church in Knoxville, Tenn.
MSNBC and NBC News
updated 1 minute ago

WEST KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - At least seven people were injured Sunday morning, two seriously, when a man opened fire inside a church in West Knoxville Sunday morning, according to NBC affiliate WBIR-TV.

The shootings happened at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike. One witness said police had arrived and the suspected gunman was in custody, according to WBIR-TV. Church members told the television station they did not know the man or his connection, if any, with the church or its members.

A children's production of "Annie" was taking place at the time of the shooting. Steve Drevik, a church member, described the shooter as a man with long blond hair, who appeared to be in his 40s. He said he walked into the sanctuary and opened fire with a shotgun, shooting indiscriminately.

At least six or seven people were hit by the gunfire, he said, and taken to a nearby hospital. No children are believed to have been hit by the gunfire.

Numerous Knoxville police officers are at the church.

[Howlingwolf]

One person has now died in this incident.

[jdh]

The "gunman"? We can only hope.

And let me guess, the church didn't allow members to carry.

[busbybottom]

My Church knows I carry . Jimmy preached so good of a sermon today I would not of seen him coming .

[mr slow]

a POLICE OFFICER SHOULD BE CARRYING AT ALL TIMES UNLESS HES PLANNING ON DRINKING.

[gunbuilder69]

I just read this
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,392081,00.html
killing because of gays and liberals distorting church values. how many people think gays should be in the church actively? why?

[Wheatie]

This is now being blamed on right wing commentators such as O'Reilly and Hannity, and some are calling for government censorship.


http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-on-knoxville-church-shooting.html

[Thebes]

I think it's human nature to try to make sense out of the senseless. This hateful, crazy maniac storms into the church his ex-wife attended as some kind of revenge against her, or against the gays and "liberals" he's pinned his bitterness onto. Whatever "rationale" this man had was obviously minimal, at best.

But people find Bill O'Reilley and Sean Hannity books on his shelf so they blame the books. "Ban the books!". And of course plenty of gun-grabbers rush to blame the gun, and ban them, too. But this is all as senseless as him blaming "gays and liberals". Everyone wants to find a source for their woes when, in the end, so much is random and senseless.

The sad irony, as one commentator pointed out, is that if this man had approached the church, explained his troubles, and asked for help they would've given it to him. They might have even been able to help find him work. But maybe his irrational hatred of whatever that church represented would've made them helping him even more unimaginable for him.

Oh, and as to the question about gays being active in the church, it's a moot point. They already are active in the church. Now, different churches have different responses to that fact on the ground - from full acceptance (like this church) to less acceptance. I don't know of many churches, though, that realy kick you out if you're gay. Even the most conservative usually have a policy of "love the sinner, hate the sin".

I hope we can all agree that no one, ever deserves to be killed for being gay, regardless of the various theological opinions on the matter.