[sanjuro]

I actually hate when nutbags try to justify their ways...

Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views

By DUNCAN MANSFIELD, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago

An out-of-work truck driver accused of opening fire at a Unitarian church, killing two people, left behind a note suggesting that he targeted the congregation out of hatred for its liberal policies, including its acceptance of gays, authorities said Monday.

A four-page letter found in Jim D. Adkisson's small SUV indicated he intentionally targeted the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church because, the police chief said, "he hated the liberal movement" and was upset with "liberals in general as well as gays."

Adkisson, a 58-year-old truck driver on the verge of losing his food stamps, had 76 rounds with him when he entered the church and pulled a shotgun from a guitar case during a children's performance of the musical "Annie."

Adkisson's ex-wife once belonged to the church but hadn't attended in years, said Ted Jones, the congregation's president. Police investigators described Adkisson as a "stranger" to the congregation, and police spokesman Darrell DeBusk declined to comment on whether investigators think the ex-wife's link was a factor in the attack.

Adkisson remained jailed Monday on $1 million bond after being charged with one count of murder. More charges are expected. Four victims remained hospitalized, including two in critical condition.

The attack Sunday morning lasted only minutes. But the anger behind it may have been building for months, if not years.

"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," Police Chief Sterling Owen said.

Adkisson was a loner who hates "blacks, gays and anyone different from him," longtime acquaintance Carol Smallwood of Alice, Texas, told the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Authorities said Adkisson's criminal record consisted of only two drunken driving citations. But court records reviewed by The Associated Press show that his former wife obtained an order of protection in March 2000 while the two were still married and living in the Knoxville suburb of Powell.

The couple had been married for almost 10 years when Liza Alexander wrote in requesting the order that Adkisson threatened "to blow my brains out and then blow his own brains out." She told a judge that she was "in fear for my life and what he might do."

Calls to Alexander's home were not answered Monday, and the voice mailbox was full.

Monday night, an overflow crowd of more than 1,000 people attended a memorial service at the Second Presbyterian Church next door to the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

"We're here tonight to make sense of the senseless," the Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, told the gathering.

In Adkisson's letter, which police have not released, "he indicated ... 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," Owen said. "He certainly intended to take a lot of casualties."

Witnesses said the attack was cut short after some church members tackled the gunman and held him until police arrived.

The Unitarian-Universalist church advocates for women's rights and gay rights and has provided sanctuary for political refugees. It also has fed the homeless and founded a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to its Web site.

Owen said authorities believe the suspect had gone to the Unitarian church because of "some publicity in the recent past regarding its liberal stance on things."

Owen did not identify the publicity, but the Rev. Chris Buice, the church's pastor, is a frequent contributor to the Knoxville newspaper.

"In the midst of political and religious controversy, I choose to love my neighbors as myself," Buice wrote in an op-ed piece published in March. "Ultimately, I believe that tolerance, compassion and respect are the qualities we need to keep Knoxville and East Tennessee beautiful."

A police affidavit used to get a search warrant for Adkisson's home said the suspect admitted to the shooting.

Adkisson "stated that he had targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of the major media outlets," Investigator Steve Still wrote.

Adkisson told authorities he had no next of kin or family. He lived about a 20-minute drive from the Unitarian church — one of three in the Knoxville area. The church is in an established neighborhood of older, upscale homes and several other houses of worship near the University of Tennessee.

The police chief said the suspect bought the shotgun at a pawn shop about a month ago, and he wrote the letter in the last week or so. A .38-caliber handgun was found in his home.

About 200 people from throughout the community were watching 25 children performing "Annie" when the suspect entered the church, pulled out a semiautomatic shotgun and fired three fatal blasts.

Church member Barbara Kemper said the gunman shouted "hateful words" before he opened fire, but police investigators said other witnesses didn't recall him saying anything.

A burly usher, 60-year-old Greg McKendry, was hailed as a hero for shielding others from gunfire as other church members rushed to wrestle the gunman to the ground. Police arrived at 10:21 a.m., three minutes after getting the 911 call and arrested Adkisson.

No children were hurt, but eight people were shot, including the two who died — McKendry and Linda Kraeger, 61.

When the first shot rang out at the rear of the sanctuary, many church members thought it might be part of the play or a glitch in the public address system. Some laughed before turning around to see the shooter and his first victims covered in blood.

Jamie Parkey crawled under the pews with his daughter and mother when the second and third shots were fired. He saw several men rush the suspect.

"I jumped up to join them," he told AP Television News. "When I got there, they were already wrestling with him. The gun was in the air. Somebody grabbed the gun and we just kind of dog-piled him to the floor. I knew a police suppression hold, and I sat on him until police came."

Parkey's wife, Amy Broyles, was visiting the church to see her daughter in the play. She said Adkisson "was a man who was hurt in the world and feeling that nothing was going his way," she said. "He turned the gun on people who were mostly likely to treat him lovingly and compassionately and be the ones to help someone in that situation."

Investigators were reviewing several video recordings of the performance by parents and church members. Owen said police would not release the videos or Adkisson's letter until they have been analyzed for evidence.

Adkisson, who faces his next court hearing Aug. 5, was on active duty with the Army beginning in 1974. Army records show he was a helicopter repairman, rising from a private to specialist and then returning to private before being discharged in late 1977.

 

[Silver]

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank God for letting this happen. I marvel in the glories of his wondrous works.

 

[Westy]

Atomicfireball hasn't been around in a while. I guess we know what he has been up to.

 

[N8 v2.0]

are Unitarians Christians anyway??

 

[BurlyShirley]

are Unitarians Christians anyway??

Thomas Jefferson was a unitarian. Pretty sure George Washington became one as well. If conservatives want to keep up this farce about the US being founded upon "christian values" than I suppose they better include the unitarians.

Edit:
By the way, did you notice how the hero was referred to as "Burly" ?

 

[Defenestrated]

Anyone wanna cough up one million for Atomicfireball's bail?

 

[jimmydean]

Anyone wanna cough up one million for Atomicfireball's bail?

I'll give you $20 to keep him in.

 

[DaveW]

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank God for letting this happen. I marvel in the glories of his wondrous works.

Must spread blah blah.....

 

[Stinkepete2021]

It's sick that a person would think that these actions could make the world a better place, and it's even more sick that a person wouldn't like to do so. I live about 30 miles from where this happened. I would like to extend my heart to all involved and say that I have love for anyone and everyone on this earth regardless of race, sex, or religion. I can only imagine the pain felt by those who expected nothing but the love of their god. May the lord have mercy on the shooter's soul.

 

[Silver]

I can only imagine the pain felt by those who expected nothing but the love of their god.

Sucks to be them, doesn't it?

 

[N8 v2.0]

Thomas Jefferson was a unitarian. Pretty sure George Washington became one as well. If conservatives want to keep up this farce about the US being founded upon "christian values" than I suppose they better include the unitarians.

Edit:
By the way, did you notice how the hero was referred to as "Burly" ?

my parents are untitarians and that was the church i went to as a kid... it was more of a rhetorical question.

 

[drkenan]

Hhhmmm...the irony is thick with this one. Where to start? It's like a vicious circle:

1. The past few US administrations favor free trade and massive tax incentives for large corporations thus allowing them to outsource manufacturing and other basic jobs overseas.

2. Current [Republican] US administration goes on a holy crusade in the Middle East which results in gigantic debt and fuel prices higher than we've seen in my lifetime.

3. Out of work truck driver gets mad at the "liberals" and goes on a shooting rampage.

Part of this may go back to Clinton but the majority falls under a conservative leadership - hence why it's ironic that the guy hates "liberals". And out off all the people that I know after growing up in an amazingly conservative home/town, the "liberals" are the ones who are most likely to lend a hand to a person like this.

 

[profro]

Republican, Democrat.... it doesn't matter. Professional politicians are the problem.

 

[Upgr8r]

Republican, Democrat.... it doesn't matter. Professional politicians are the problem.

It's sad that during an election we have to choose the lesser of 2 evils as opposed the the better candidate

 

[Durt]

A truck driver that blames liberals and Democrats for everything. Poster boy for conservative talk radio's target audience.

 

[sanjuro]

A truck driver that blames liberals and Democrats for everything.

Don't talk about N 8 like that.

 

[kidwoo]

Don't talk about N 8 like that.

He's just into the truckstop scene.


He doesn't actually drive a truck.

 

[N8 v2.0]

He's just into the truckstop scene.


He doesn't actually drive a truck.

i just like the hats..

 

[Lowlight7]

A truck driver that blames liberals and Democrats for everything. Poster boy for conservative talk radio's target audience.

Truck drivers listen to conservative talk radio?

I kinda figured they'd be Opie & Anthony's target audience...

A guy who hunts for liberals in Knoxville probably isn't going to understand anything said on a political radio show, regardless of party affiliation.

 

[sanjuro]

i just like the hats..

You mean the bathrooms...

 

[$tinkle]

He's just into the truckstop scene.

 

[def]

The local talk radio stations and news paper message boards have been blowing up with ignorance. (example: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/29/suspects-note-cites-liberal-movement-church-attack/)

I'm still taken back as the church is next door to a buddy's home and about a mile from my old house.


And coincidentally, I was given my grandfather's old shotgun sunday and my father made the joke in passing of putting it into an old guitar case to carry it in my truck.

 

[Samirol]

Republican, Democrat.... it doesn't matter. Professional politicians are the problem.

What defines a career politician? 10 years in the legislature? 15? 20? Why should there be inferior politicians simply because their term limit is up. If someone represents their people well, why should they get kicked out because of arbitrary limits?

California has what you could call career Senate politicians (been in office since 92), and I don't see a problem with corruption, approval ratings, or anything like that.

 

[1453]

California has what you could call career Senate politicians (been in office since 92), and I don't see a problem with corruption, approval ratings, or anything like that.

did you seriously type that?

google Richard Blum.

(pss, Feinstein voted for the war)

 

[Samirol]

did you seriously type that?

google Richard Blum.

(pss, Feinstein voted for the war)

****, completely forgot about the scandal with her husband. The scandal was due to people leaking information about who was bidding rather than her being a public servant for a long time, however.

 

[1453]

****, completely forgot about the scandal with her husband. The scandal was due to people leaking information about who was bidding rather than her being a public servant for a long time, however.

:huh:

wow

that is all

 

[stevew]

:huh:

wow

that is all

He probably thinks she sh*ts rose petals.

If Cheney and Bush can make money off the war, why can't she through her husband

URS and Blum have since banked on the Iraq war, scoring a $600 million contract through EG&G. As a result, URS has seen its stock price more than triple since the war began in March 2003. Blum has cashed in over $2 million on this venture alone and another $100 million for his investment firm.

 

[Samirol]

He probably thinks she sh*ts rose petals.

If Cheney and Bush can make money off the war, why can't she through her husband

Hardly, her voting record has been ****.

edit: I have no problem admitting I am wrong, when evidence is brought proving me wrong. 1453 still has to prove that I have "white guilt" though

 

[profro]

What defines a career politician? 10 years in the legislature? 15? 20? Why should there be inferior politicians simply because their term limit is up. If someone represents their people well, why should they get kicked out because of arbitrary limits?

.

I dare say that every single career politician has made a decision based on kick backs. If you are in office long enough it will happen. Look at what is happening in Alaska right now.

IMO there are a lot of things wrong with America, but the 2 biggest to me are career politicians and over consumption. On some level the two can be combined.