THE gunman charged with killing two people during a church service in Tennessee at the weekend allegedly targeted the congregation because of their liberal views and policies – particularly on gay rights.
Adkisson is led away from the scene of the shooting
According to The Times, Jim D Adkisson, an-out-of-work lorry driver, described his violent plans in a four-page letter, saying he intentionally targeted the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville because:
He hated the liberal movement; and was upset with liberals in general as well as gays.
Two people were shot dead during the attack on Sunday, including the 60-year-old church usher, Greg McKendry, who was hailed a hero for shielding other parishioners from the gunfire. Linda Kraeger, 61, also died after being admitted to hospital, and six others were injured.
Mr Adkisson, who is being held on $1 million bond, had 76 rounds with him when he entered the church and pulled a 12-gauge shotgun on the 200-strong congregation.
Witnesses said he pulled the gun, which he had bought from a pawn shop a month ago, from a guitar case and opened fire just as a performance of the musical Annie, featuring 25 children, had begun on stage.
According to witnesses, Mr Adkisson, 58, was only able to fire three shots before being tackled and held by some members of the congregation, including John Bohstedt, who was playing Daddy Warbucks in the performance of Annie.
Sterling Owen, the local police chief, said yesterday that Mr Adkisson indicated in his letter:
That he expected to be in there [the church] shooting people until the police arrived and that he fully expected to be killed by the responding police. He certainly intended to take a lot of casualties.
It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that, and his stated hatred for the liberal movement.
The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church prides itself on its “long and rich history of taking stands for social justice which are aligned with our values and principles”.
A memorial service was held on Monday night at the Second Presbyterian Church next door to the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, in which a crowd of more than 1,000 prayed at a candlelight service.
Reverend William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, told the gathering:
We’re here tonight to make sense of the senseless.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 30th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
“We’re here tonight to make sense of the senseless.”
Yes, yes, but what about the tragic turn of events?
August 14th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I don’t really know what I can add, but here goes.
I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I know many people who attend the TVUUC (though, luckily, none of the victims). I am an atheist who is increasingly fearful to reveal his lack of faith in christian dogma precisely because of the kind of hate that manifested itself here.
The american conservative movement preys on people like Mr. Adkisson by telling them that “liberals in general as well as gays” are responsible for everything bad that happens in the world & that the only solution is to vote Republican to keep godless communists out of political office. This hate is constantly reinforced by political mouthpieces on tv (Fox “News”) & radio (Rush Limbaugh).
What he did was horrible and he should be punished. That said, I feel for the feeble-minded who place their faith in the words of people who, because they are on radio & tv, MUST know what they are talking about. He sought the only solution he felt he had left.
Our community will heal from this terrible tragedy. Our country may never recover from the irresponsible use of the power of words by the politically, economically and theologically motivated. I am not suggesting censorship. merely personal responsibility.