General > General info Somewhat hot tub related

Tragedy in our church

<< < (7/9) > >>

wmccall:
I didn't want this to become a political debate, I moved it from the main forum when it did so. If any one has any more thoughts to share with Spaman or Stuart, please feel free to share.  I'll close the thread if it continues as a gun issue, there are plenty of forums for that.

stuart:
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers....

Sunday, we were going to stay and have lunch with friends in the cafe but I was still not feeling all that well so we walked out. As we left there was smoke hanging in the air from a smoke bomb, I told my wife that it was probably kids messing around. We started walking to our car and heard two "pops"...I told my wife "it sounds like someone hitting something." We continued on and heard the popping several more times {around 20).

I kept looking towards the playground where the noise seemed to be coming from and saw an usher run to the edge of the playground and peek around...I told my wife that it was probably kids with firecrackers and he was about to catch them just then he ducked back around the column, I looked through the fence and saw what looked like a man with a gun standing between the buildings. I ordered my wife and daughter to "GET IN THE CAR NOW!"

No sooner had I (quickly) walked around the car, got in and shut the door did hundreds of people come running out of the church screaming "HE'S GOT A GUN, HE'S SHOOTING PEOPLE!"

Several of them pulled open our doors and jumped in and some even tried to climb on the car. I tried to calm everyone and get them in the car while trying to turn the car around. We drove the perimeter road of the church with 6-8 hysterical women and teenage girls that had seen him shooting at people.

I took them to the collage near the church, helped them call dads and husbands and tried to go back for another load but looking across the field it looked like the police and swat where in place so I stayed put and continued to calm the group around me.

In the process of all this I asked my eight year old in the midst of all these hysteria if she was ok and she told me with tears in her eye's, "Daddy, I dreamed about this last night!" When I questioned her about it she said she dreamed about the gunman (she saw him as she jumped in the car and as we drove away) dressed the same way, shooting into the windows. She said the main difference was in her dream he had an ugly deformed little man with him holding a twisted cane pointing were to shoot and laughing.

The whole thing seems very surreal...My wife and I were completely calm and composed through the whole ordeal as if we had no doubt we would be OK.

We are fine in the outcome and want everyone to know that this is not our tragedy but rather that of those who died. I can't imagine being that father standing there not able to help his daughters....

I keep thinking to the fact that I didn’t recognize the sounds were gunshots and didn’t react, anyone who knows me would find this strange but I believe it was God keeping my family safe. Had I engaged in the condition that I’m in, I would have probably died and put my family in harms way.  

I'm amazed that there was not more damage...there were thousands of people still in the church and I know for a fact that he fired more than 40 rounds, he also had over 1000 rounds of ammo....

bohms:
Stuart - that must have been a tragic experience for you and your family.  I can't imagine seeing what you saw.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones.  Someone was watching over you and your family that day.  I'm glad you're safe.  Thanks for sharing your story with us.

East_TX_Spa:
That is unbelievable!  I am thankful that you and your family are OK...I cannot imagine what a harrowing experience that must have been.

I grieve for the man who lost his daughters.  That has to be the most unbearable sadness a man could feel. :'(

Chris O

Richs100:
Man o' Man, your story makes my entire spine shiver.  Especially your daughter's dream!   You are so fortunate to be safe and with your family.  I still can't believe you saw this guy as it was all breaking loose.  

My sincere condolences to everyone out there who has been impacted by this terrible situation.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page