New Life Church gunman identified Options

[dauss]

edit: just found another earticle that's even better.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hU4ax39...P6TKqgD8TESGQO1

The gunman believed to have killed four people at a megachurch and a missionary training school had been thrown out of the school about three years ago and had been sending the place hate mail, police said in court papers Monday.

The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled by his family and raised in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. Murray's father is a neurologist and a leading multiple-sclerosis researcher.

Five people — including Murray — were killed, and five others wounded Sunday in the two eruptions of violence 12 hours and 65 miles apart.

The first attack took place at Youth With a Mission, a training center for missionaries in the Denver suburb of Arvada; the other occurred at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where Murray was shot to death by a security guard. The missionary training center maintains an office at the 10,000-member church.

"Through both investigations it has been determined that most likely the suspect in both shootings are one in the same," police said in court papers, confirming what investigators suspected early on.

Colorado Springs police said the "common denominator in both locations" was Youth With a Mission.

Second shooting within 2 days. This time at the New Life Church. This would be the Evangelical church founded by Ted Haggard, the man who enjoys sex with male prostitutes while snorting methamphetamines.

http://kjct8.com/Global/story.asp?S=7475648

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The church where a gunman opened fire after a Sunday service is closed today, as crews work to repair any damage done during the shooting spree.

Senior Pastor Brady Boyd of New Life Church in Colorado Springs said trauma counselors were being made available today at the Rockrimmon Campus Community Center of Woodmen Valley Chapel.

Boyd said members of New Life Church would meet as a church family at some point this week to begin the process of grieving and recovery.

He said care would be provided for those who were wounded, and for the family who lost two children.

But Boyd said the church would be good -- that it would be strong and survive.

in response to jessica:
oops, I was about to post one article, then found this better one and changed it in the subject, but forgot to edit the title.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=82509

The identity of the gunman in the shooting at a 10,000-plus member mega-church has been uncovered by 9Wants to Know.

9Wants to Know has learned 24-year-old Matthew Murray was killed after opening fire at New Life Church on Sunday.

Murray, who was home schooled, lived with his parents' home in unincorporated Arapahoe County. Investigators searched that same home on Sunday night.

edit: thanks asshole

[jonathan83]

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=747...;nav=menu69_3_9

Cody Hodges goes to that church and went to the earlier service that day.

A former Texas Tech quarterback says the weekend violence won't keep him from church this Sunday. Cody Hodges is a member of the New Life Church. He attended services Sunday morning, before the gunman opened fire killing two members of his congregation.
Hodges was not injured, but says the experience has everyone questioning their safety, but not their faith.
"I guess you don't ever guess something like that would ever happen, and then when it does, it just kind of makes you really question your safety, kind of no matter where you are," Hodges said.
He went to early services at New Life Church Sunday morning.
"I never go to the 9 o'clock service, but for some reason, yesterday I decided to go to the early service," Hodges said.
Hodges has lived in Colorado Springs since mid-August, and just last month he visited Levelland High School, teaching students about Rachel's Challenge.
"On April 20, 1999 in Littleton, CO at Columbine High School two high school students walked into their high school with guns and pipe bombs and proceeded to kill 12 students and one teacher," Hodges told Levelland students in November.
The program works to prevent tragedies, so when Hodges left church Sunday morning, he couldn't imagine what would happen nearly two hours later.
"I was watching the Cowboy's game, it was on TV, and breaking news came across the screen," Hodges said.
The shooter killed two sisters, and wounded three other members of Hodges' church family.
"Kind of makes you wonder how does a person get to that point where they're either that angry or that upset or that distraught about something where they feel like taking somebody else's life is the only option they have. I just don't understand that. I don't understand that at all," Hodges said.
"I imagine you'll be in church next Sunday, is it going to be hard to walk through the doors knowing what happened," NewsChannel 11 asked.
"Obviously that will actually enter your mind for the first time, this happened a week ago, but the thing is, as a believer, you still have to go to worship," Hodges said.
Hodges tells NewsChannel 11 that there was an eerie feeling across the city Monday, but he says his church is strong, and they'll help each other deal with this tragedy.

This post has been edited by jonathan83: Dec 11 2007, 04:59 AM