Church Carry Saves Lives

KRM45 · Post by **KRM45** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:45 pm

Paladin wrote:Seeing an interview on cnn.com, the lady was described as "volunteer security" and "highly trained".

The murderer was described as wearing body armor... and it sounded like the volunteer security handled the situation in an extremely quick and professional manner... so I'd guess she really is highly trained. Hard to say where she got her training from though.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/10/colora ... nnSTCVideo

The world needs more people like this.

Commander · Post by **Commander** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:47 pm

Couple of questions: Is it known for a fact that the church is/was a "gun free zone?" & Is it possible that the "volunteer security guard" was in fact a Colorado CHL holder and not a security guard? I'm aware of at least one church that has organized its CHL holders and has them sit near the entrances to the sancutary. I just wonder if this is what happened in Colorado?

mr surveyor · Post by **mr surveyor** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:58 pm

it's my understanding from news accounts that the Colorado Springs church had initiated their "security plan" because of the news of the earlier attack on the YWAM facility. So their security personel, whether civilian volunteers, off duty leo's, professional security, or whatever they had assembled, was already strategically in place it would seem.

I just would like to know for sure what criteria they had for the participants of their "security staff".

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:07 pm

Armed volunteer saves lives: Digg it!

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:39 pm

Very good link there KB.

Another related: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=59138

Assam, without any sleep and clearly visibly shaken 24 hours after the confrontation, told reporters she wanted to extend sympathies to the families of the victim, as well as the gunman. "I mean that very sincerely," she said.

"I heard shots fired. It was chaos. There were a lot of people in the church," she described.

"The halls cleared out and I saw him coming through the doors. I took cover, waited for him to get closer, came out of cover and identified myself, engaged him, took him down," she said.

Church officials said they have a contingent of volunteer security officers because of the high profile of the church.

"Obviously if we had not had an armed person on our campus, 50 or 100 people could have lost their lives," the pastor said.

Commander · Post by **Commander** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:46 pm

Maybe I'm reading too much into this....but from reading the various reports it sounds like she used to be in Law Enforcement but is no longer....and it sounds like she was carrying under the authority of a CHL; if this is true the media is downplaying it...She apparently was a church member with a CHL that volunteered to help....just as I or any of the other members of this forum would at our respective churches.

From Kevin's link to WorldNetDaily:

She wasn't a cop, wasn't a security guard, just a volunteer with a legally-concealed handgun.

Stupid · Post by **Stupid** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:57 pm

Terrible terrible plan, which caused unnecessary loss of life!!!

Should have just posted a gun free zone sign and be done with it.

mr surveyor wrote:it's my understanding from news accounts that the Colorado Springs church had initiated their "security plan" because of the news of the earlier attack on the YWAM facility. So their security personel, whether civilian volunteers, off duty leo's, professional security, or whatever they had assembled, was already strategically in place it would seem.

I just would like to know for sure what criteria they had for the participants of their "security staff".

ELB · Post by **ELB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:38 pm

Go here for some answers to some of the questions in this thread.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/14 ... etail.html

Some key points:

- Jeanne Assam (the "security guard") used to be a police officer in Minneapolis in the 90's, but now is private citizen in Colorado with a license to carry.

- "Senior Pastor" Boyd said Assam suggested that they needed to beef up security after the Arvada attack.

- Boyd said there are 15 to 20 people on the volunteer security team (and all are church members), apparently only some of which have CHLs and are armed

- She attended an earlier service, then acted as a guard at later service(s). I am guessing then that not all 15-20 security people are on duty at the same time.

From this article:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7683781

- Two other armed volunteer security guys pulled their guns -- but did not fire! Only Assam.

- An unarmed parishioner tried to get one of the non-firing guys to hand over his gun so the parishioner could go after the attacker, but Mr. No-Shoot wouldn't do it. The unarmed parishioner ended up wounded.

- Quote from Assam on how she was successful: "I was asking the Holy Spirit to guide me the entire time."

elb

ttorion · Post by **ttorion** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:40 pm

mr surveyor wrote:I would like to know the lady's actual currrent "status". One report stated that she was a former LEO, or had LEO training. Was she currently a "card carrying" LEO, or was she carrying strictly as a private citizen, or former leo (national) certification? Was she acting strictly as a "volunteer" as a member of the church? Several media outlets are only stating that she was a "security guard" and some are using the term "church security staff". If she was, in fact, acting as a volunteer - meaning private citizen - then this is, or should be a real boost to the image of 2A rights and those of us that follow all the "rules".

This story says she was a former Minneapolis police officer.

dukalmighty · Post by **dukalmighty** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:53 am

She made the statement that as he got closer she left cover identified herself and then engaged him,If i got cover and a clear shot i personally ain't leaving cover to engage ,especially when he's got superior firepower.

DoubleActionCHL · Post by **DoubleActionCHL** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:25 pm

The report I heard said she was former LE and now a CHL holder.

Jungle Work · Post by **Jungle Work** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:37 pm

Jeanne Assam of Colorado Springs is a True American Hero.
While gutless Security Guards in Uniform, hiding behind cover frozen in fear, she acted to save the lives of others. Jeanne Assam of Colorado Springs is the Brady Bunch Anti Gunners, The Communist Liberals of America, The Rich and Powerful Who Would Disarm The Citizens worst nightmare. A Citizen with a Gun who saves innocents lives.

Larry Bourbonnais is a Vietnam vet and the father of two girls. After the Columbine shootings he made a personal commitment that if he was ever in a similar situation he would do everything in his power to stop it. He was at church on Sunday with his daughters when he heard gun fire. Rather than fleeing with his daughters he directed them to an exit and charged toward the gunfire. He rounded a corner to a hallway and saw the gunman at the opposite end. Across the hall was a male security guard hiding behind a pillar. Bourbonnais yelled at the guard to shoot the gunman. The guard remained frozen behind the pillar. Bourbonnais then yelled at the guard to throw him his pistol and he would "take the shooter out." The guard remained motionless behind the pillar. Bourbonnais then decided to make his was across the hall to where the guard was hiding. As Bourbonnais went from pillar to pillar the gunman spotted Bourbonnais and fired several shots at him. Several of the rounds struck the pillar that Bourbonnais was hiding behind and bullet fragments struck his arm. Bourbonnais then saw Jeanne Assam approaching the gunman with her gun draw. Bourbonnais then left the cover of the pillar while shouting at the gunman to distract him while Assam approached. The gunman fired at Bourbonnais and then turned his fire on Assam. Bourbonnais then watched as Assam and the gunman exchanged fire. Assam's rounds struck their mark and the gunman went down.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2 ... urbonnais/

It certainly looks like all who were Highly Trained Security Guards and Armed were not heros and all the heros were not armed.

Jungle Work