Denver Church Shooting, merged and re-named

[Scott]

4 die in Colo. church, mission attacks

By JUDITH KOHLER, Associated Press Writer 18 minutes ago

A gunman killed two staff members at a missionary training center near Denver early Sunday after being told he couldn't spend the night. About 12 hours later, a gunman fatally shot a person at a megachurch in Colorado Springs before a guard killed him, police said.

The gunman at the New Life Church was shot and killed by a church security guard after entering the church's main foyer with high-powered rifle shortly before 1 p.m. and opening fire, Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers said.

It was not immediately known whether the Colorado Springs shooting was related to the crime in Arvada, a Denver suburb about 65 miles to the north. Authorities in Arvada said no one had been captured in the shootings there.

A church member died of wounds inflicted by the gunman, Senior Pastor Brady Boyd said. Two others were shot and wounded at the church, where hundreds of people were milling about and parents were picking up their children from the nursery.

It was not immediately known whether the shootings were related, but Arvada authorities said they were sharing information with Colorado Springs investigators. The mission training program has a small office at the church's World Prayer Center on the New Life campus.

The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery.

Police arrived to find that the gunman had been killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, Myers said.

"There was a courageous staff member who probably saved many lives here today," Myers said.

Gov. Bill Ritter ordered state authorities to help investigate. The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting, and officers combed the church campus looking for suspicious devices.

The three people injured by the church gunman were taken to Penrose Community Hospital in Colorado Springs, where they were listed in critical, fair and good condition, said hospital spokeswoman Amy Sufak.

New Life was founded by the Rev. Ted Haggard, who was fired last year after a former male prostitute alleged he had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with him. Haggard, then the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, admitted committing undisclosed "sexual immorality."

The New Life church is one of Colorado's largest with about 10,000 members.

About 7,000 people were on the campus at the time of the shooting, Boyd said. Security at the church had been beefed up after the early morning shootings in Arvada, he said.

The first shooting happened at about 12:30 a.m. at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada, a Denver suburb, police spokeswoman Susan Medina said.

A man and a woman were killed and two men were wounded, Medina said. All four were staff members of the center, said Paul Filidis, a Colorado Springs-based spokesman with Youth With a Mission.

Arvada Police Chief Don Wick said the suspect spent several minutes speaking with people inside the dorm. Peter Warren, director of Youth With a Mission Denver, said the man asked whether he could spend the night. Several youths called on Tiffany Johnson, the center's director of hospitality.

"The director of hospitality was called. That's when he opened fire," Warren said. Johnson, 26, was killed.

Warren said he didn't know whether any of the students or staff knew the gunman. "We don't know why" he came to the dormitory, Warren said.

Witnesses told police that the gunman was a 20-year-old white male, wearing a dark jacket and skull cap, who left on foot. He may have glasses or a beard.

Police with dogs searched the area through the night, and residents of nearby homes were notified by reverse 911 to be on the lookout. Medina said residents were asked to look out their windows for any tracks left in the snow during the night. About 4 inches of snow had fallen in the area in the past day.

In addition to Johnson, killed in Arvada was Philip Crouse, 23. Youth With a Mission said Johnson was from Minnesota and Crouse was from Alaska.

The missionary center identified the wounded as Dan Griebenow, 24, of South Dakota, and Charlie Branch, 22, whose hometown wasn't immediately known. One of the men was in critical condition, and the other was stable, police said.

About 45 people were evacuated from the Youth with a Mission dormitory and moved to an undisclosed location.

The missionary center is on the grounds of the Faith Bible Chapel. Cheril Morrison, wife of chapel pastor George Morrison, said Crouse had just hung up Christmas lights at her home and that Johnson was "an amazingly beautiful person."

Mimi Martin, who lives near the center, said she received the warning call at about 9 a.m. warning neighbors to keep their doors and windows locked.

"Why would anybody want to hurt those kids?" Martin said.

Darv Smith, director of a Youth With a Mission center in Boulder, said people ranging from their late teens to their 70s undergo a 12-week course that prepares them to be missionaries. He said the center trains about 300 people a year.

Filidis said staffers are usually former missionaries themselves and that the "mercy ministries" performed by trainees include orphanage work. He said he didn't know where the group being trained in Arvada was going to be sent.

Youth With a Mission was started in 1960 and now has 1,100 locations with 16,000 full-time staff, Smith said. The Arvada center was founded in 1984.

___

Contributing to this report were AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski and writer Colleen Slevin in Denver, and writer George Merritt in Arvada.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Scott]

Modified the thread title to hopefully prevent a bunch of duplicate threads from starting.

[miklcolt45]

Fox News is currently reporting that a 'volunteer security guard' was the one to shoot and kill the gunman.

In addition, several explosive devices were placed around the church and LE are operating with the assumption that the gunman's body may be booby-trapped.

[ridurall]

I can't understand what would motivate someone to do that at a church. Still I always carry at church and volunteer as one of the security guards. We have enough volunteers so that we can make to last so that we only need up pull it security duty one week every 2 months. Our shift runs Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening. I grew up in Colorado Springs and just wrote my Sister about her getting a CCW. She comes down here to Oklahoma to visit quite often since my parents moved here and I've been after her and her husband to make it legal. Perhaps this will convince them to go all the way and get their license. When I'm carrying in church I usually wear a vest from Concealed Carry Outfitters. It holds my Sig. 2022 .40 S&W without anyone noticing and there is room on my off side if I decide to carry something else for backup.

[miklcolt45]

ridurall,

As I posted on the thread about legally carrying in CO churches, the church often attracts hurting people, including some who are mentally ill, depressed, etc. Almost every church has some people who are somehow involved in the church with issues that could make them dangerous to themselves and/or others.

One major factor in my decision to get my CWL and to carry is because of death threats from a bipolar individual loosely related to the church I serve.

[miklcolt45]

Now it is being reported that there were 2 shooters. The one in Colorado Springs is dead. The Arvada gunman is in custody.

[Redneck Repairs]

miklcolt i belive your mistaken . There were two perps in the springs , 1 is dead and 1 is in custody . The suspect from arvada may be at large , but its looking like he was one of the guys in the springs . No one is saying if he is the dead one or the one in custody at this point .

[the_fallguy]

I even carry while preaching. Minimum a Kel-Tec all the time.

Does the congregation know? If so, I'll bet the offering plate fills up really fast.

[retsupt99]

Now it is being reported that there were 2 shooters. The one in Colorado Springs is dead. The Arvada gunman is in custody.

Ane now we have seen it all...

Mikl's new avatar... Nice one...

**************************************************
And in answer to the post...
I didn't know that they had caught the Arvada shooter...must be new news...I'm turning on fox.

[miklcolt45]

miklcolt i belive your mistaken . There were two perps in the springs , 1 is dead and 1 is in custody . The suspect from arvada may be at large , but its looking like he was one of the guys in the springs . No one is saying if he is the dead one or the one in custody at this point .

RR,

I'll keep my ears open. They way they reported it made me think that is what they meant. But, I COULD be wrong. It has happened before.

[paramedic70002]

Unconfirmed reports the church guard is a female.

[P7fanatic]

The latest is it appears that the woman security guard that shot the BG was a parishoner. The pastor said she had previous law enforcement experience. From the press conference I just saw it appears she was a volunteer plainclothes security guard with her own gun and with a CCL. She heard the gunfire, went towards it, confronted him in the hall and 'took him down' is the way the pastor put it. It sounded as though he said there are around 15-20 who serve the role as 'security guards' (300,000 sq. ft. of space?).
It seems to me that she was simply a CWL carrying civilian at church services doing volunteer security.

[Redneck Repairs]

Last night on another board ( free republic ) a church member stated that they had bible study with said security guard . further stated was that the guard in question was female , a member of cspd swat team , and had joined the church " a couple of months ago " immediately feeling the " need " to volunteer for the security squad . Make of it what you will .

[SIXTO]

The security "squad" is a very common thing anymore in a lot of churchs. Some of the megas around here hire some pro's to do it at a very handsome rate.

[Redneck Repairs]

Well now cspd is disavowing any connection to the lady .. so apparently some if not all of my info was wrong ( fox news as of 1030 mst . )