Mass Killing in Alabama

[rbell]

Shooter kills at least 12...

Please pray. This is rough.

http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=9985081

My family (Brother in law, sister, cousin) were among those shot at.

I'm thankful they're OK, but as I said, it's rough...lots of people aren't OK.

I have lots of family in Geneva/Samson. This is a tight-knit place, and it's going to be really hard on them.

 

[SBCPreacher]

Have already prayerd and will continue. Glad that your family is safe now.

 

[BigBossman]

What would possess someone to go & do something like that?

 

[Matt Black]

The Devil. raying:

 

[rbell]

This guy killed his own mother, grandmother, and other family...as well as an 18 month-old child.

May God comfort the victims. I couldn't imagine having most of my family wiped out...at the hands of another family member.

Not to mention the other victims (targeted and random).

 

[windcatcher]

Praying for them........... and for you tooo, rbell.

Understandably, this is a shock to you!

......As for the shooting and how peoples' minds get so possessed ..... it is hard to understand even when we think we have an explanation.

 

[windcatcher]

Local news report tonight: A funeral home director and owner in Mobile Alabama is furnishing 5 caskets free for the burial of some of the victims and has offered transportation, staff, and supplies to help the local mortuary with the arrangements. He lost a brother about a year ago to a murderer... and says he knows how devastating such a lost and suddenly facing arrangements can be for the living. What a charitable offer!

A 3 month old baby, injured by shrapnel, is recovering well in our local children's hospital, Sacred Heart. Her mother and an 18 month old was killed by the gunfire.

The guy who did this had been depressed over a period of time and reported to others his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with failed attempts at acheivement. He washed out about a month after joining the Marines, then failed the police academy.... And he had much bitterness with people he felt had wronged him in someway.

I can't imagine the difficulty facing the pastors and counselors trying to comfort the families and victims in this community. How does one preach a funeral of hope over someone who has committed such crimes and whose life had such a sad and miserable end?

They all need our prayers.

 

[BigBossman]

What really gets me is why he felt like those innocent people had to suffer. According to the news reports, he was a self-proclaimed survivalist. Survivalists don't commit suicide.

Even I got utterly depressed about things in 2003. I had five jobs that year. One of them I quit, three of them I got fired from, & the third I stayed with, but I had fewer hours & the pay wasn't great. I spent most of my time sleeping, sometimes for 14 to 16 hours a day. Things eventually began to turn around. My point is people get depressed all of the time. Its just how you deal with it that makes all of the difference. You also have to realize that depression is temporary. If you feel that there is no way out if it, then the best thing to do is get some type of counseling (like talking to a friend, family member, or even a pastor). Obviously, that guy didn't do that. Instead, he just snapped.

 

[rbell]

There are quite a few teachers in the area public schools (particularly Geneva & Samson...at least, those are the ones I am most familiar with) with a strong faith in God, and a heart for the kids.

There's no way to "make this all better," but these folks will do a good job at ministering to the kids.

One of my relatives told me they couldn't fit everyone in the door at a couple of churches down there.

We all know that a crisis causes people to turn to God. Yeah, some will stick and some won't. But let's pray that through this tragedy souls will be added to the Kingdom, and that Christians will commit themselves fully to the Cause.

One other request from ya'll...I have a few relatives that are the aforementioned teachers/coaches down there. Pray that God will give them the words to say...they are being asked some tough questions, no doubt.

Thanks for the prayers, gang...