Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings

2007 Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings ---
tags: Attacks on Clergy, Churches, mass shooting, Colorado, defensive shooting

4 killed 5 injured plus suspect suicide December 9, 2007 Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings  In the early morning hours after midnight, 24-year-old Matthew J. Murray knocked on the door and opened fire at the Youth With A Mission training center in Arvada, Colorado, with a pistol, killing two and wounding two others before escaping. Later that afternoon, he attacked the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a number of firearms, killing two more people and injuring three before being shot and wounded by Jeanne Assam a volunteer guard and former policewoman; he then committed suicide.

*Sources


  1. Jeanne Assam is Still Waiting | 5280 - 5280 Magazine

    www.5280.com/magazine/2012/12/jeanne-assam-still-waiting

    5280
    Five years ago this month Jeanne Assam shot a gunman at New Life Church in Colorado Springs and saved countless lives. She was called a national hero and ...
  2. Images for jeanne assamReport images
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  3. Jeanne Assam : snopes.com

    m.snopes.com/jeanne-assam/

    Jun 17, 2015 - An armed Colorado churchgoer named Jeanne Assam stopped a church shooting in 2007.

  4. 2007 Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings - Wikipedia ...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/.../2007_Colorado_YWAM_and_New...

    Wikipedia
    At this point, church member Jeanne Assam, a former Minneapolis police officer, opened fire on Murray with her personally owned concealed weapon.

  5. The 2007 Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings were a killing spree that occurred on December 9, 2007. In the early morning hours, 24-year-old Matthew J. Murray opened fire at the Youth With A Missiontraining center in Arvada, Colorado, with a pistol, killing two and wounding two others before escaping. Later that afternoon, he attacked the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a number of firearms, killing two more people and injuring three before being shot and wounded by a member of the church's congregation; he then committed suicide.[7]

    Details[edit]

    Arvada missionary shooting[edit]

    Around 12:30 a.m. MST (07:30 UTC), following a Christmas banquet that had taken place earlier that night, a man knocked on the door of the Youth With a Mission center. The man asked personnel in the facility if he could stay at the center overnight.[3] When he was refused, the man opened fire,[1] killing Tiffany Johnson, the center's director of hospitality, and staff member Philip Crouse. Dan Griebenow was critically wounded with a bullet in his neck,[3]and Charlie Blanch suffered bullet wounds to the leg.[6]
    After the incident, the YWAM base evacuated its 80 people to the mountain campus in Black Hawk, 45 of whom were in the building at the time of the shooting.[8] Local police quickly conducted a canine search of the surrounding area for the man. They had hoped that fresh snow would help them track the suspect, but were unable to locate him.[3] A reverse 911 call went out to residents of the neighborhood to let them know a shooting suspect might be in their area.[8]

    New Life Church shooting[edit]

    At about 1:00 p.m. MST (20:00 UTC), thirty minutes after the 11:00 a.m. service had ended at New Life Church, Murray opened fire in the church parking lot, shooting the Works family and Judy Purcell. Murray then entered the building's main foyer where he shot Larry Bourbonnais, hitting him in the forearm. At this point, church member Jeanne Assam, a former Minneapolis police officer, opened fire on Murray with her personally ownedconcealed weapon. Police say that after suffering multiple hits from Assam's gun, Murray fatally shot himself.[7]

    The victims[edit]

    Aftermath[edit]

    After the New Life Church shooting, Assam later stated that "God guided me and protected me [and I] did not think for a minute to run away."[5][9][10][11]
    On December 13, 2007, Murray's family issued a statement saying that it was "groping for answers" and issued an apology.[12]
    The pastor of the church stated that Assam shot Murray before he entered 50 feet (15 m) inside the building, after she encountered him in the hallway, and that Assam probably saved "over 100 lives."[13]
    Following the shooting spree, Colorado Springs Police Department officers searched the church campus looking for suspicious devices. Colorado governor Bill Ritter ordered state authorities to help investigate. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also came to the site to assist.[6]
    It was not immediately known whether the shootings were related to an earlier Arvada missionary shooting, 70 miles (110 km) away. However, prior to the second shooting, police were already conducting an investigation at Murray's home.[5]
    Police said the description of the gunman in the second shooting was similar to the first: a white male wearing a dark hat and dark jacket.[14]

    The shooter[edit]

    On December 10, the gunman in both the YWAM Arvada and New Life Church shootings was identified as Matthew J. Murray, age 24, one of two sons of a Colorado neurologist. Reportedly, Murray was homeschooled in a deeply religious Christian household, and he attended, but did not complete, a missionary training program at the YWAM Arvada facility in 2002.[5] Court records indicated that Murray was bitter over his expulsion from the 12-week missionary training program.[15][16] His expulsion from the school was confirmed by Cheryl Morrison, whose husband, George Morrison, is pastor of the Faith Bible Chapel adjacent to YWAM Denver. She didn't know specifics of the conflict. "I don't think that ‘run-in’ is the word, but they did have to dismiss him. It had to be something of significance, because they go the nth degree with people." Murray was expelled from the school due to "strange behavior," which included playing frightening rock music and claiming to hear voices.[17][18] Before the second shooting, Murray left several violent and threatening messages on several religious websites, espousing his hatred for Christianity and his intentions on killing as many Christians as possible.
    One message read: "I'm coming for EVERYONE soon and I WILL be armed to the ...teeth and I WILL shoot to kill. ...God, I can't wait till I can kill you people. Feel no remorse, no sense of shame, I don't care if I live or die in the shoot-out. All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."[19][20]
    In another of his very last posts, made that morning to a Usenet newsgroup,[21] he identified himself as being a member of a local branch of the Ordo Templi Orientis. According to the chapter leader, Murray had attended their events for one or two years, but his request for membership was turned down[22] and he was asked to leave in either September[21] or October.[22]
    He was also baptized into the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in late 2006, according to church records.[23]
    According to investigators, Murray descended into anti-Christian derangement over a period of several months, and his web-postings became increasingly violent, despondent and hateful. Some of the users tried to counsel Murray and one psychologist even offered her services after reading his poem called "Crying all alone in pain in the nightmare of Christianity." Murray refused her offer.[19] After the killing, police found a letter addressed "To God" by Murray in his car. The letter was listed in an evidence and property invoice of items that Colorado Springs police recovered from a 1992 Toyota Camry belonging to Matthew Murray. The documents were obtained by Newsradio 850 KOA. The note to God was found in the rear passenger seat, along with two books: "I Had to Say Something" by Mike Jones and "Serial Murderers and Their Victims" by Eric W. Hickey, according to the invoice.[24]
    In his online postings he cites psychological abuse at the hands of his parents as the main reason for his hatred of Christianity.
    References[edit]

     ^ Jump up to:a b "Three Dead (including perpetrator), Two Wounded, After Gunman Opens Fire Inside Colorado Christian Missionary Center". Fox News. Associated Press. 2007-12-09. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    Jump up^ "Gunman opens fire at church; one suspect in custody". CNN. 2007-12-09. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    ^ Jump up to:a b c d Holusha, John (2007-12-09). "Gunman Kills 2 at Missionary Center Near Denver". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    Jump up^ "Ammo Shipped To P.O. Box Put Murray On Police Radar". ABC 7 News: The Denver Channel. 2007-12-12. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
    ^ Jump up to:a b c d McGhee, Tom (2007-12-10). "Colo. church shooting victims identified". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
    ^ Jump up to:a b c "4 die in Colo. church, mission attacks". Associated Press. 2007-12-09. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    ^ Jump up to:a b "US church gunman killed himself". BBC News. 2007-12-12.Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
    ^ Jump up to:a b "Gunman kills 2 at missionary training center". CNN. 2007-12-09.Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    Jump up^ "Victims at New Life identified". KOAA-TV. 2007-12-09. Archivedfrom the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
    Jump up^ "Security upgrade saves churchgoers". UPI. 2007-12-10. Archivedfrom the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
    Jump up^ Hendrick, Thomas (2007-12-10). "Security Guard: 'God Guided Me And Protected Me'". TheDenverChannel.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
    Jump up^ "Gunman committed suicide as family apologises for shooting". Au.christiantoday.com. 2007-12-13. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
    Jump up^ "Police: Same Gunman Attacked Both Churches". KMGH Denver. 2007-12-10. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved2007-12-10.
    Jump up^ Two US Christian centres attacked. BBC.com. 10 December 2007.Archived 22 February 2011 at WebCite
    Jump up^ Kohler, Judith (2007-12-10). "Gunman in religious attacks had been thrown out of missionary school: police". Associated Press. Retrieved2007-12-11.[dead link]
    Jump up^ Merritt, George (2007-12-11). "Gunman may have warned of 2nd attack". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
    Jump up^ "'Colorado gunman scared co-workers 5 years ago, one says'". CNN. 2007-12-11. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved2007-12-11.
    Jump up^ Gathright, Alan (2007-12-10). "A gunman's bloody trail: from hate mail to mass murder". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
    ^ Jump up to:a b Woodward, Paula, Jace Larson and Nicole Vap. Gunman's Web writings warn of shootings. 9News.com. 10 December 2007.[dead link]
    Jump up^ Colorado Church Gunman Sought Revenge After He Was Kicked Out of Missionary Training. FoxNews.com. 11 December 2007. Archived 22 February 2011 at WebCite
    ^ Jump up to:a b Meyer, Jeremy P., David Migoya and Christopher N. Osher. "Your Colombine". The Denver Post. 12 December 2007. Archived 23 February 2011 at WebCite
    ^ Jump up to:a b Gorski, Eric. "Colorado Gunman Left Twisted Trail". Associated Press. 12 December 2007.[dead link]
    Jump up^ Dallof, Sarah (2007-12-12). "'Colorado shooter was baptized into LDS faith'". KSL News. Archived from the original on 2011-02-23. Retrieved2007-12-13.
    Jump up^ "Church shooter left letter 'To God' in car". The Denver Post. 2008-01-17. Archived from the original on 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
    External links[edit]
    Max Blumenthal, The Nightmare of Christianity The Nation (September 9, 2009)

  6. jeanneassam: Home

    www.jeanneassam.com/

    The official website for Jeanne Assam and the book "God, The Gunman & Me". Her fame spread in December of 2007 across hundreds of television stations, ...
    7. Jeanne Assam Says She Was Asked To Leave New Life ... The Huffington PostFeb 25, 2011 - The former security guard at New Life megachurch who heroically stopped a gunman at the Colorado Springs church in 2007 says she was ...former security guard at New Life megachurch who heroically stopped a gunman at the Colorado Springs church in 2007 says she was asked to leave after announcing that she is gay. In December, 2009, a 24-year-old gunman named Matthew Murray opened fire on New Life's Colorado Springs facility, shooting four people and killing two. Jeanne Assam, then a 42-year-old volunteer security guard and ex-Minneapolis police officer, shot the gunman--who fatally shot himself soon afterward--as he entered the church. At the time, Assam--who said her strong faith was responsible for her swift and decisive action--was hailed as a hero. However, she says the warm feelings from New Life subsided after she told them that she was gay.

  7. Jeanne Assam's Blog | Author of "God, the Gunman and Me"

    https://jeanneassam.wordpress.com/

    Aug 10, 2014 - Anyone ever watch this show and think, “That could be me”? I do. Instead, I'm a workout fiend. I'm glad I chose that route instead of over-eating.

  8. Jeanne Assam was a Cop - Daily Kos

    www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/20/.../-Jean-Assam-was-a-Co...

    Daily Kos
    4 days ago - Making rounds in the Internet is an image macro which describes howJeanne Assam shot a church murderer in Colorado in 2007. The image ...

  9. Guard saved untold lives, officials say - latimes

    articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/11/nation/na-shoot11

    Dec 11, 2007 - COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — The gunshots were so loud thatJeanne Assam thought the shooter was already in the building. A former  ...

  10. Guard's hands "didn't even shake" as she shot gunman ...

    www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7684728

    The Denver Post
    Dec 10, 2007 - New Life Church security guard Jeanne Assam, 42, discusses her actions in halting gunman Matthew Murray's Dec. 9 rampage, a day after the  ...
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