Page 7 - ATD05October2015
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U.S. NEWS A7
Monday 5 October 2015
Pastor’s sermon: ‘Violence will not have the last word’
GOSIA WOZNIACKA wiping away tears. watch.’” Pastor Craig Schlesinger wipes his eyes as he talks about the
TAMI ABDOLLAH There have been conflict- As the community comes fatal shootings at Umpqua Community College during church
Associated Press ing accounts of Harper- to terms with its grief, pas- services at the Garden Valley Community Church, Sunday,
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — A Mercer’s words inside the tors have been at the fore- Oct. 4, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore.
pastor whose daughter sur- classroom, and what he front of helping victims’
vived last week’s deadly may have meant by them. families cope. Associated Press
rampage in a college class- Some witness accounts Religious faith is an impor-
room told his congregation have said that after killing tant part of many people’s were crying, yelling, some Nutter and the other pas-
on Sunday that “violence people who said they were lives in this rural part of Or- families were angry, oth- tors have organized a
will not have the last word” Christian he continued to egon, called by some “the ers going into denial and web of support for victims’
in this southern Oregon tim- execute others, doing so Bible Belt of Oregon.” In shock.” families and the wider
ber town. randomly. Roseburg alone, there are Over the past four days, community.q
More than 100 people Scroggins told those gath- dozens of churches, and
gathered to hear pastor ered at his church that Christian billboards and
Randy Scroggins speak at his daughter survived be- crosses dot area highways
New Beginnings Church of cause she was lying on the and roads.
God, including his daugh- floor and partially covered When pastor Jon Nutter
ter 18-year-old Lacey, who by the body of a fellow stu- got a text message last
cried while sitting in the dent. The gunman thought Thursday about the shoot-
front row with her mother. his daughter was dead. ing and realized how many
Scroggins said he’s been Scroggins said the commu- had been killed or injured,
asked whether he can nity has “come together he immediately formed a
forgive Christopher Sean with strength and courage prayer circle at Starbucks
Harper-Mercer, who killed and compassion. As if to where he was sitting.
nine when he opened fire say, ‘we will not be defined He then rushed to open his
Thursday at Umpqua Com- by violence’ ...Violence will church in Roseburg to any-
munity College. not have the last word in one in need of counseling,
“Can I be honest? I don’t Roseburg.” and drove to the Douglas
know. That’s the worst part Also sitting in the congre- County Fairgrounds, where
of my job. I don’t know” gation alongside Lacey officials were reuniting stu-
said Scroggins, his voice Scroggins was 18-year-old dents with family members.
cracking with emotion. “I Mathew Downing, who As bus after bus rolled into
don’t focus on the man. I also survived Thursday’s the fairgrounds on Thursday
focus on the evil that was in shootings. carrying students, faculty
the man.” Scroggins’ daughter Lac- and staff, Nutter and about
Harper-Mercer killed him- ey had told him the gun- two dozen other local pas-
self after a shootout with man gave an envelope tors held uncontrollably cry-
police. to Downing and told him ing students, formed prayer
At services across Roseburg to give it to police. Randy circles, listened to eyewit-
on Sunday, pastors talked Scroggins said the enve- nesses recount the ram-
about the tragedy as the lope contained a flash page that killed nine and
community tries to heal. drive. watched tearful reunions
A couple hundred people A law enforcement official with parents and spouses.
crowded into Garden Val- has previously told The As- The pastors also comforted
ley Church, where pastor sociated Press a “mani- parents and spouses who
Craig Schlesinger said living festo” from Harper-Mercer waited for the last bus of
the faith means countering was recovered at the students.
the rampage “with acts of scene. The official wasn’t Five hours after the shoot-
kindness.”” authorized to speak pub- ing rampage, a dozen re-
Schlesinger also spoke licly and spoke on the con- maining family members
about trying to make sense dition of anonymity. were ushered into a room
of survivor reports that the Scroggins spoke with at the fairgrounds, said Nut-
gunman asked who was Downing’s mother, Sum- ter, who was in the room.
Christian and then shot mer Smith, following the Officials notified them there
them. Sunday services at New would be no more buses
“As those brave men and Beginnings Church of God coming.
women were willing to in Roseburg. He told the “They had been waiting
stand and take a bullet for AP the gunman told her for a long time, hoping,
their faith... so let us bravely son “’go to the back of the praying,” said Nutter, pas-
stand this day and live our room and sit down, facing tor of Hucrest Community
faith in Roseburg,” he said, all of us, and you’re gonna Church of God. “People
