Small Church Riddled With Bullet Holes: 'You Can't Let People Breed Fear'
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Chapel in the Hills is a small, non-denominational church with at least 70 members in Coal Creek Canyon.
What many consider a sacred space for the community was gunned down in the middle of the night, causing at least $5,000 in damages.
"I've never seen a church with bullet holes before," said Senior Pastor Todd Fletcher.
A broken baby Jesus was just one of the devastating images Fletcher found after he says someone broke into his church Thursday night.
"It was very aggressive," Fletcher said. "It felt like it was more than just a robbery. It felt like something else was behind it."
Vandals shot multiple rounds into windows, walls, and even a nursery before taking off.
"This is where our one- and two-year-olds crawl around, so it's kind of a shocking image when you see baby toys with glass all over it," Fletcher said.
While Fletcher's personal laptop, and a guitar used for Sunday worship, were taken, he says some had their sense of security stolen as well.
"It felt like we lost peace of mind, and that safety and security that we all take for granted in a lot of ways, was taken away from us."
Instead of shutting down for the weekend, Fletcher says dozens of members united to put their church back together.
"You can't let people breed fear into your community through acts of violence," Fletcher said.
As Fletcher works on his sermon for Sunday morning, he hopes whoever's responsible finds peace.
"As a church we've already said we're praying for that person and we hope that they come to repentance," said Fletcher.
Suspect information has not yet been provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Fletcher says services will go on as scheduled Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.