Shooter Railed Against Liberals, Gays
FBI Probing Hate Crime Angle After Gunman Kills 2 In Tennessee Church During Children's Play
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Deadly Shooting In Church
Gunfire rang out during the Sunday service of a church in Knoxville, Tenn. Churchgoers tackled the shooter, but not before bullets injured nine and killed at least one. Bianca Solorzano reports.
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Shooting At Church Service
"CBS News RAW": Multiple people have been shot during a Sunday morning service at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in Knoxville. The suspect is in police custody.
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Shooting suspect Jim Adkisson is escorted by police following the explosion of violence at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, July 27, 2008. (WVLT)
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A distraught bystander at the scene of a shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, July 27, 2008. (WVLT)
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The Rev. Chris Buice talks to reporters outside Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday, July 27, 2008. "We've been touched by a horrible act of violence. We are in a process of healing and we ask everyone for your prayers," he says. (AP Photo/Duncan Mansfield)
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This picture provided by the Knoxville Police Department shows church shooting suspect Jim D. Adkisson of Powell, Tenn., on Sunday, July 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Duncan Mansfield)
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Jim D. Adkisson, 58, is in custody and charged with first-degree murder in the shootings. He is being held on $1 million bond.
Officials said five people remain in the hospital - four in critical condition, one serious.
At a press conference Monday morning Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said a 4-page letter discovered in Adkisson's car following the attack at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday morning revealed his frustration over not being able to find work, with his anger targeting gays and what he called "the liberal movement."
"He seemed obsessed, saying he hated the 'liberal movement,'" Owen said. "He did express frustration that the 'liberal movement' was getting more jobs. He felt he was being kept out of the loop because of his age and because he was not liberal."
When asked if the letter contained vulgarities or profanities, Owen said, "It wasn't very complimentary."
The letter, which was not addressed to anyone specifically but was signed by Adkisson, did indicate that he specifically targeted the church. "It appears that church had received some publicity in the recent past regarding its liberal stance on things," said Owen.
The church is known for advocating women's and gay rights and founding an American Civil Liberties Union chapter.
He also said there was no indication that Adkisson was targeting the children.
"He intended to take a lot of casualties - he had at least 76 rounds on him," Owen said.
He said the letter indicated Adkisson did not expect to leave the church alive.
The 12-gauge number 4 semi-automatic shotgun was purchased a month ago. Adkisson had no other weapons on him when he was apprehended but police recovered a .38 handgun at his house.
It was revealed that Adkisson had been a member of the 101st Airborne and according to his resume had worked at a variety of places around the country. He holds an associate's degree in mechanical engineering but was last actively employed in the Knoxville area in 2006.
His frustration at not being able to find work was apparently exacerbated by a letter police say Adkisson recently received from the state saying he was losing some or all of his food stamp benefits. "That gave him even greater concern," Owen said.
He has no next of kin and no family, according to his statement to police.
Police said they did not know when the letter would be released as it is evidence. None of the several videos taken in the sanctuary will be released.
"It's important for us to ensure that the evidence is treated properly, legally, and that we don’t run into any evidentiary problems."
Police have been joined by the FBI in investigating if this is a hate crime because of the church community's work on social issues.
One neighbor reported that Adkisson had problems with Christianity.
More than 200 people were in attendance of a children's play Sunday morning when Adkisson walked in with a 12-gauge shotgun and a bag full of ammunition and began firing.
"It was shock and you're trying to have it make sense in the context of where you're at - you're in church," said Jamie Parkey.
Church member Marty Murphy told The Knoxville News Sentinel that she was about 30 to 40 feet from the shooter when the rampage began.
She said church members dove under church pews and others ran out the sanctuary.
Murphy told the newspaper some of the children were close to the shooter when the attack began.
"One little girl had blood all over her," she said. "She was just hysterical. I don't know how that girl is going to sleep tonight."
"Right after the play had started, we were sitting there and heard a loud explosion," Terry Uselton told CBS' The Early Show. "Couldn't figure out what was going on; we thought maybe it was something with the lighting or something went wrong. Heard a second explosion. And then I turned around to look and saw a man standing in the doorway with a gun. And so I got up from my seat and started toward him."
Uselton helped tackle Adkisson to the ground.
He said, being a teacher, he has thought through scenarios of how to protect children in the event of a school shooting. "This is one of those cases," Uselton said. "That was my thought: 'Somebody's got to stop this guy.'"
Another witness told the newspaper that the man killed was a hero.
"Greg McKendry stood in the front of the gunman and took the blast to protect the rest of us," Barbara Kemper said.
McKendry's foster son Taylor Bessette watched it happen.
"He stood in front of the bullets between the child and the gunman and actually took the bullets to save the child," said Bessette.
He almost turned angry. He said that everything in the Bible contradicts itself if you read it.
Karen Massey, describing anti-Christian comments by shooting suspectAfterwards, Uselton said, his three grandchildren had many questions which he struggled to answer. "We talked a lot about it after it happened. We were very forthcoming. And these are just things you can't explain. But we talked about it. And I think that was very helpful to them."
Uselton, who has attended the church for 24 years, knew McKendry.
"Our hearts go out to Greg and Linda and their families and the tragic loss," he said. "Greg was a wonderful guy, wonderful person in the church. He was just a great person. And his loss will be felt for a long time. We really are going to miss him."
Police have no motive yet for the crime.
One witness said the shooter started by shouting "hateful words."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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See all 646 CommentsPosted by GOP_forever at 08:47 AM : Jul 28, 2008
You are part of the reasons why this country is due for some much needed major changes. That will happen in November. Only 176 days left! Enjoy!
And like in the Producers, it is a scam. He is really just the opposite, an Obama staff member looking to use this sad story to the benifit of his candidate, no matter who it hurts.
Hmmm....Couldn''t be because it''s church and religion, could it. I mean, could you imagine them keeping on with this story if the guy had decided to go bananas at a bowling alley?
That this is a hate crime is not yet certain but it''s begining to look very much like it might be.
Assuming it is and assuming Adkisson''s reported bitter antipathy toward anything Christian is an accurate assessment, then it is no more acceptable for him to murder innocent people whose only "crime" is good Christian practise than it is for those idiots in Pennsylvania to whack that Mexican immigrant because of his immigration status.
As unskilled as I am at offering words of comfort, my thoughts are with those most affected and may they find - or be granted the strength to endure.
Posted by GOP_forever at 09:56 AM
Hitler was human, you''re an animal. You have the nerve to insult the church that was attacked. Typical GOP.
Possibly he asked God to quiet the voices. Maybe he asked society also. Society wouldn''t help him, but thanks to lax gun control it would help him get a 12 gauge shotgun.
Posted by zoe2006 at 09:39 AM : Jul 28, 2008
And probably an NRA and GOP member to boot...
He should be the poster child for the NRA. He must have graduated from the cheney school for guns.
HA !"This right is the MOST FUNDAMENTAL OF ALL."
Um, NOOOO. THE FIRST AMENDMENT kind of trumps the 2nd amendment. Called the RIGHT TO LIFE (liberty and pursuit of happiness !
And based on its record of liberal social activism, tolerance and respect of varying faiths and pursuit of social and economic justice for our most vunerable; the Tennessee Valley UU church is the exemplar supreme of the "correct" church and to which good people naturally gravitate.
zoe2006, a correct church is one where the good people go.
Obviously, your no invited.
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Posted by zoe2006
Actually, Jesus said to call no man good, not even him. If someone is not invited to the church, it isn''t a correct church. Church should be open to all, as this church was.
Remarks by droids like gwagener should remove any doubt these killings will continue, and more books will be published by pseudo-scientific atheists that blame Christianity for everything and spout off about eliminating the problem.
Notice it isn''t enough they don''t like the Bible or think it is a joke, they want you dead for reading it. Get used to it. There is a new wave of insanity coming upon the West because of these books, and people like gwagener. This shooting is no different than the other church shootings, like the wicked murder of innocent Amish schoolchildren, only to be followed by more books from Harris, Hitchens, and Dawkins spouting hatred for the Bible and anyone who reads it.
Posted by lilturkey at 11:06 AM : Jul 28, 2008
You are absolutely correct! You do not need to be in a special building to talk or worship God! We come together, whether in a home, community center, or church to fellowship. That is, worship God collectively.
Things like this happen.
Who doesn`t?
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 11:09 AM : Jul 28, 2008
Nancy,
This was not a Christian Church. It is a church that allows all religions.
Why do you have a problem with Christ?
"Shots Fly as Kids Perform ''Annie''"
Another mislead far right wing neocon GOP ku.ntpu.nk!
Shoot at children in a church!!! Republincan s.***!
PRAISE JEEEZZZBUS!!!! Can I cit an AAAHHHHMEN!!
Why do you have a problem with Christ?
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Posted by tcandrews62
Don''t bother fighting with Nancy. You just can''t have a reasoned discussion with ignorance.
Exactly. That''s what responsible gun control is about, making sure that those who own guns, own them responsibly. Make them DEMONSTRATE IT. That might help weed out walking catastrophe''s like this guy.
That ''if guns were outlawed, only outlaws would have guns'' fiction is disproven DAILY in every developed country in the world (that''s right, they ALL have gun control that we lack here in the U.S., and because of it their chances of dying of a gunshot wound is 1/100 th of our chances in this country).
Someone wrote that their right to defend their children should be defended. Incorporate responsible gun control, and your childs chance of dying of a gunshot wound goes down to 1/10th to 1/100th its current chance. That''s just plain statistics, and its been true for 20 years. Your ''right'' to defend your children from criminals by owning a gun is KILLING THEM.
That''s funny- I sometimes attend a UU fellowship and the pastor there is Christian.
Learn more at www.uua.org; UU beliefs are defined there as clear as day.
He''s right about that but it doesn''t excuse the violence. It does make a point, which is needless, that a church--a Christian church or any church--offers no more sanctuary than other public places where such attacks have occurred. Fast-food restaurants, schools, workplaces. Gun versus prayer? Gun wins.
Stop destroying the world nutjobs.
Mission Accomplished nutjobs.
That''''s funny- I sometimes attend a UU fellowship and the pastor there is Christian.
Learn more at www.uua.org; UU beliefs are defined there as clear as day.
Posted by Amesmb at 11:31 AM : Jul 28, 2008
We''re already in the 21st century AD and people are still arguing about what a correct Christian church is. How long has it been since the idea that the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around, became accepted as scientific fact?
Bill O''Reilly
Michael Savage
Sean Hannity
Matt Drudge
David Horowitz
...and all the other conservative talking heads profiting from helping and encouraging Americans to hate other Americans.
You didn''t pull the trigger here. But IMO you are just as guilty as the gunman. You have helped create an environment so poisonous and volatile people can justify murder simply because the victims think and believe differently.
I can only imagine the OUTRAGE from the conservatives if a liberal had shot up a church. But somehow they''ll find a way to blame Bill Clinton or the ''librul'' media for this tragedy.
Posted by ubrew12 at 11:30 AM : Jul 28, 2008
Thanks for a breath of fresh logic in these posts even if it''s wasted on those who need it.
''His frustration at not being able to find work was apparently exacerbated by a letter police say Adkisson recently received from the state saying he was losing some or all of his food stamp benefits.''
What? I thought conservatives HATED social programs! Y''know, welfare mothers and so forth. Isn''t taking handouts from the government supposedly a liberal concept?
It''s little wonder conservative freaks like this crack. They are living contradictions. It must be a sad day when you realize you have become all that you hate.
It''ll be interesting to learn more about this nut''s background. I wonder if he was a faithful viewer of FOX News....
Posted by armydog2
It started years ago, with the shootings and bombings at abortion facilities.
Posted by WDrussell1 at 11:52 AM : Jul 28, 2008
Probably. But I used the qualifier "scientific" in reference to this basic astronomy precisely to exclude the ignorant.
Posted by mike071067
If there is a hell, you certainly belong there.
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