CNN hates to do it, but they have no choice!

[Robert Hairless]

Sorry, but nothing any of you have said happened is at all possible. It could not have happened. I know because I've been paying careful attention to the media and various law enforcement spokespeople for years. Here is what I've learned:

First, Gun Free Zones are safe. That's why they are designated "Gun Free Zones." It is against the law in many states for anyone to have a gun in a church except with permission. The criminal did not have that permission so he would have been breaking the law by shooting people in that Gun Free Zone.

Second, churches are safe. No one would commit murder in a church. That would be wrong.

Third, it's not safe for a woman to use a gun in a self defense situation. Any criminal would take it away from her and kill her dead right there on the spot.

Fourth, it's best to call 911 instead of trying to defend yourself if anyone tries to murder you. That way the police who find your body will know that you are the victim. Otherwise they might think the guy who killed you was the good guy, and the police might arrest you instead of him.

 

[damien]

Larry King is such a tool. He actually asked Jeanne Assam if she was proud of what she had done.

She was on Larry King? Is there an online link for this?

 

[jcjacobvt]

Security Guard: 'God Guided Me And Protected Me'
Jeanne Assam Stopped Gunman At New Life Church
Thomas Hendrick, News Editor

POSTED: 4:46 pm MST December 10, 2007
UPDATED: 8:25 pm MST December 10, 2007


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Jeanne Assam appeared before the news media for the first time Monday and said she "did not think for a minute to run away" when a gunman entered the New Life Church in Colorado Springs and started shooting.

There was applause as Assam spoke to reporters and TV cameras saying, "God guided me and protected me."

Feeback Now: Tell Us What You Think


New Life's Senior Pastor Brady Boyd called Assam "a real hero" because Murray "had enough ammunition on him to cause a lot of damage."

When asked by a reporter if she felt like a hero, Assam said, "I wasn't just going to wait for him to do further damage."

"I give credit to God," she said.

Assam described how the gunman, Matthew Murray, entered the east entrance of the church firing his rifle.

Click to read more about the shootings in Colorado Springs and Arvada.

"There was chaos," Assam said, as parishioners ran away, "I will never forget the gunshots. They were so loud."

"I saw him coming through the doors" and took cover, Assam said. "I came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down."

"God was with me," Assam said. "I didn't think for a minute to run away."

Assam said she believes God gave her the strength to confront Murray, keeping her calm and focused even though he appeared to be twice her size and was more heavily armed.

Murray was carrying two handguns, an assault rifle and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, said Sgt. Jeff Johnson of the Colorado Springs Police Department.

"It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," she said.

Assam worked as a police officer in downtown Minneapolis during the 1990s and is licensed to carry a weapon. She attends one of the morning services and then volunteers as a guard during another service.

Boyd said Assam was the one who suggested the church beef up its security Sunday following the Arvada shooting, which it did. The pastor credited the security plan and the extra security for preventing further bloodshed.

Boyd said there are 15 to 20 security people at the church. All are volunteers but the only ones armed are those who are licensed to carry weapons.

The security guards are members of the church who are screened and not "mercenaries that we hire to walk around our campus to provide security," Boyd said.

About 7,000 people were on the church campus at the time of the shooting, said Boyd.

Two of the parishioners killed in the shooting were identified Monday as sisters Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16. Their father, David Works, 51, suffered two gunshot wounds -- one to the abdomen and one to the groin -- and was listed in fair condition on Monday. They were shot in the parking lot as they were getting into their van.

"Our concern is for our family that lost two teenage daughters. Our hearts are grieving," said Boyd. "You can imagine, as parents, losing two children while coming to church, just showing up for a worship service, not bothering anyone."

Boyd said Assam's actions saved the lives of 50 to 100 people.

Assam said she was ending three days of fasting on Sunday when fate put her in the path of the gunman.

"I was praying to God that he direct me" in what to do in life, Assam said. "God made me strong."

 

[230RN]

S&Wfan observed:

Here's a case that might just tip things our way and save countless lives all over the nation in future years!

Make it so...

(Tried to upload pic of praying hands, but it didn't work. Don't know why.)

 

[charon]

I was wrong. Instead I find people unwilling to believe or accept that she was a security guard, instead insisting that she was a churchgoer with a CCW. Maybe that's so, maybe it isn't. Moreover, I find comments praising her actions, while remarking how un-security-like they are, because as everyone knows, Security Guards are cowards who hide or run away while the shooting's going on.

You miss the practical issue Fourninefoxtrot.

The media will not, now, concentrate on the CCW aspect. Instead, a security guard, and former LEO was able to use her years of law enforcement training to end the shooting. It will be amazing to see any pure discussion of CCW now. CCW will be fine, as long as you are former LEO or a "trained security professional" -- all those who meet that criteria please raise your hands. Not that it will even be directly discussed to that extent. The primary focus will be on the AK-47, the spray of bullets, how massively out gunned she was, the 1000 rounds of ammunition in "high capacity clips" etc. with the day saved by a former police officer.

I'm certainly glad she was there. I'm glad she stopped the shooting as quickly as she did. But from a media standpoint they have all they need now to ignore the big picture issues. I hope that is not the case, but will see. Of course, the fact that it's a mixed bag on the issues front, and that she has such strong religious faith will likely be unsettling to the producers and editors and the whole event may just quickly disappear from the news cycle.

 

[Macpherson]

This is an CRYSTAL CLEAR argument for CCW everywhere and for the 2nd amendment rights in general. Here we have, in the span of less than two weeks, the problem and its solution. Problem: civilians are being prohibited from carrying any means of defense against armed attackers. Solution: Allow civilians to carry arms. The facts are that even with a 2 minute police response time, dozens could be killed and I highly doubt that the first officer on scene is going to rush in without backup, which could increase the response time (and the death toll). The best person to stop these killers is the civilian who is on scene, knows the situation, and has the best chance to get the drop on the maniac before he can do much damage. If the police can get there and handle the situation, great, but as we've seen time after time, the killers know full well that police take time to respond and they use that time to kill as many as possible before they go out themselves. As Oleg and others have said "when seconds matter, the police are only minutes away". The more CCW carriers we have in this country, the fewer of these nutjobs will think it's a good idea to go to some public place and start shooting.

 

[230RN]

Duplicate post with attempt to attach image.

 

[charon]

The best person to stop these killers is the civilian who is on scene, knows the situation, and has the best chance to get the drop on the maniac before he can do much damage.

I agree completey. But, will the mainstream media, the producers and editors who feel that firearms provide too much power for mere mortals to handle?
To them, I would bet, she was not a "civilian." She was a highly trained security professional and former LEO. Now, the fact that she was just an average citizen TODAY providing volunteer security are important points. The fact that she had her weapon legally via CCW is important. But, just how important are those aspects to the people producing the coverage?

We'll just have to see.

 

[XnaV80]

I too saw her interview on LKL (larrykinglive) And it was great to see him make an ass of himself, or i thought he did anyway, trying to spin it to "what were you doing having a gun in church?" like she didn't need it and had no reason of having it. Obviously Mr. King, there was a reason. Looks like the kid learned a tough lesson, don't mess w/ god, or his people or he'll send Sarah Connor after his ass. Obviously she wasn't exactly proud of what she had done, but she also knew it was 100% necessary. In my eyes, she just look like she was sorry for the whole situation and that it had to end the way it did. Bravo Zulu Jeanne Assam! and God bless.

 

[FourNineFoxtrot]

Charon:

No, I understand that. I completely get that it would have been better for us if she had done this as a CCW civilian, no training or experience in LE; it would have been a clear victory for CCW. As it stands, it will not be played as a victory for CCW. That is unfortunate.

My post was not about the perspective the media would take, nor the comparative gains for CCW. My post was in response to the bashing of security guards, above and beyond an expressed desire that the lady was not a security guard. It wasn't that some folks hoped that she was a civilian with a CCW, it was that they were incredulous that she could be a security guard, and disparaging of the profession, to the point of accusing them en masse of cowardice.

 

[charon]

My post was not about the perspective the media would take, nor the comparative gains for CCW. My post was in response to the bashing of security guards, above and beyond an expressed desire that the lady was not a security guard. It wasn't that some folks hoped that she was a civilian with a CCW, it was that they were incredulous that she could be a security guard, and disparaging of the profession, to the point of accusing them en masse of cowardice.

Got it. Valid points.

 

[Chester32141]

Has anyone heard what her CCW was and in what caliber ?

 

[DerbyDale]

She did not say what the make/model of pistol she used was. Only that it was a 9mm.

 

[willbrink]

"It already came out that Boyd and said guard had an agreement for her to guard the place gratis."
__________________

But I still want to know what her supposed LEO background is/was. It does not matter if the woman took one week of training 20 years ago, the anti crew will say "see, she had special police training and was trained to use a gun and so that does not apply to you regular people" and so on.....

 

[finalnight]

Oh man, what about this other guy...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22198709

“I ran and heard the gunfire and it was roaring like thunder,” Bourbannais told Vieira.

He saw a male security guard with his gun drawn, but the guard was not firing at the Murray.

“I said, ‘Gimme your handgun. I’ve been in combat. I’m going to take this guy out,’ ” he said, adding he repeated the request four or five times, but the guard would not hand him the weapon.

Bourbannais stepped behind the pillar again and repeated his demand that the security guard give him a gun so he could take the shooter out. When he got no response, Bourbannais stepped out from behind the pillar to confront Murray again.

At that point, another security guard, 42-year-old Jeanne Assam, arrived with her gun drawn. Unlike the male guard, she was using hers.

Regarding the male guard, can you say "fired"?

 

[willbrink]

After reading the entire thread, I see she was ex LEO. We all know she was a civi with a CCW at this point, but we also know anti types will simply claim hr LEO background will = it does not count as won one for the good guys as civi with CCW is a good idea. Oh well...

 

[S&Wfan]

An ex-Vietnam combat vet, aged 59, was an equal hero in this matter and he WOULD have ended the threat shortly before Ms. Assam did . . . HAD HE BEEN ARMED. Even unarmed, he drew fire from the shooter, then advanced forward parallel with Jeanne Assum to help end the threat together. He also disarmed the shooter of his jammed 9mm and cleared the weapon to defend against other attackers in case they were present too!

His story . . .

After Columbine he decided that if he was ever in a situation such as Columbine he would run to the sound of gunfire and try to stop the situation.

He was unarmed and eating a Cheeseburger in the church's cafeteria when the shots rang out. He immediately ran towards the danger.

He came upon a MALE security guard who had his handgun drawn but who was cowering behind a column.

He encouraged the "guard" to get in the fight but to no avail.

He then begged for the "guard's" handgun multiple times and told the guard he was a combat vet who knew weapons well, and would "Take the guy out himself."

All the guard did was tell him to "get behind me."

He then realized it was up to him to do SOMETHING so he fully exposed himself to distract the gunman, and called the shooter a "Coward," followed by calling the shooter some dirty things.

He said, "It worked," for the shooter turned his rifle on the unarmed vet and shot . . . but missed.

The vet temporarily took cover, while the sheep next to him remained cowering and out of the fight.

Then, the vet came out a second time to taunt the shooter. He was NOT aware Ms. Assum was approaching from a different direction either!

It was at that moment that Ms. Assam entered view from another direction and engaged the shooter without cover, and without regard for HER life.

He said that she walked calmly forward, "as if walking to her car" as she fired several rounds to take down the shooter. At the same time, this unarmed vet ALSO advanced forward, parallel with Mr. Assum and directly into the man's line of fire.

He says Assam is the bravest person he's ever seen, including in combat.

Me? Hell, he's just as brave, IMHO! Too bad he wasn't toting himself.

Him? His name is Larry Bourbonnais!


SOME . . . will say that it is hypocritical for Christians to be armed in church.

As a Christian I say this . . . we HAVE a shephard, and most of us are sheep. But ALL shephards need SHEEPDOGS to protect the flock.

That morning there were TWO sheepdogs "standing in the gap."

Last I checked, sheepdogs can be equally both male or female!

Bravo to both!!!

T.

PS: Jeanne Assum is an ARAB Christian, which shows God's hand in this even more. She'd been fasting for three days, asking God for direction in her life. She's 42 and a former LEO . . . and was asking if she should return to being a LEO.

She's also quite attractive, never married and has no kids . . . and has been praying for the right man to come along.

I wouldn't be surprised if God answered her fast and prayers.

I also wouldn't be surprised if this event answers some prayers for us CCW types too!

IMHO, we serve an awesome God . . . even if He needs a few sheepdogs himself!!!

 

[Roswell 1847]

PS: Jeanne Assum is an ARAB Christian, which shows God's hand in this even more. She'd been fasting for three days, asking God for direction in her life. She's 42 and a former LEO . . . and was asking if she should return to being a LEO.

She's also quite attractive, never married and has no kids . . . and has been praying for the right man to come along.

I thought she had an Arab look about her. The name sounds Arab, but I figured that might be her husband's name.

She's got more sand than Josie Wales.

I may have quoted Eastwoods words from A Fist Full of Dollars which went "everything else being equal the man with the rifle will beat the man with the pistol" or words to that effect, but remember he said this just before he killed the man who had the rifle with his pistol.

Things certainly weren't equal. The man with the rifle was a murderous dog, while the lady with the pistol was a cool and competent hero who knew her weapon and had no fear for her own life.

 

[USAFNoDAk]

And meanwhile, old Paul Helmke is trying to use this tragic event to push forward his "no assault weapons" agenda. He was on Fox News this morning and he immediately tried to take the conversation to a ban on assault weapons. Larry Pratt was on the other side of the debate making the point that we have to quit disarming law abiding citizens or these shootings in gun free zones will continue. Helmke immediately asked why we keep selling these military style weapons to civilians. He's such a hack.

 

[jackie treehorn]

USA Today gets it...kind of.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-10-3279401414_x.htm

"When a black-clad gunman walked into New Life Church on Sunday and started shooting, he was met with the church's first line of defense: a congregant with a concealed-weapons permit and a law enforcement background."

I wish they would stop emphasizing her LE background, but at least they acknowledge that she had a CWP.

Jackie Treehorn

 

[MarshallDodge]

Ever heard the story of David and Goliath? God was with Miss Assam and enabled her to protect the innocent.

May this be an example of why we need to be able to protect ourselves. There is evil in this world and it attacks without warning....even in church.

I feel for the people that have lost loved ones and pray for comfort for them.

 

[charon]

The Chicago Tribune ran the Los Angeles Times Article by Nicholas Riccardi and DeeDee Correll.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...11dec11,0,7273540.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout

Some Highlights:

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - The gunshots were so loud that Jeanne Assam thought the shooter was already in the building.

A former police officer, Assam, 42, was on security duty Sunday morning at New Life Church here. Hours earlier, a 24-year-old who had been rejected from a missionary school in a Denver suburb had shot and killed two staffers there. Now he was spraying New Life's parking lot with gunfire and pushing through the doors to the sanctuary.

Murray dropped to the ground. He was carrying an assault rifle, two pistols and a backpack holding more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition...

"I just prayed to the Holy Spirit to guide me," Assam said at a packed news conference Monday. "I give the credit to God. This has got to be God, because of the firepower he had versus what I have."

As to the CCW angle (not covered) check out the online response postings. Some strong pro 2nd posts likley from other true believers, but more than a few along these lines:

This woman was the church security guard and a retired police officer. I'm assuming that having a gun is part of her job, and as a liberal anti-gun guy, I see that as being totally fine.

Cops should have guns. They're there to protect. You want to arm mall & campus security? I don't even have a problem with that.

It's the dummies who want to take matters into their own hands I have a problem with...

Another brave defense of our constitutional rights to bear arms. Thanks again, NRA for another massacre.

You know, we can change this situation. It can be done. We can get pretty much all of the guns off the streets, not to mention assault rifles. It would take about five years. It just takes a little imagination and willpower. And you'd still be able to hunt, etc.

Again, where's that cost-benefit study on hand-guns/assault rifles? What are they worth to society?

agree completely with Jason. I have no problem with police and security guards being armed, because they are TRAINED in how to use guns properly, and they are checked for a history of psychological disturbances or criminal behavior.

What I have a problem with is everyday kooks (like Matthew Murray) getting their hands on this kind of ammunition. Why the hell should this disturbed kid be carrying a gun??? Thank you, NRA, for making sure everybody in America can have a semi-automatic...

And this odd one.

She's a back shooter, she just shot him without asking him to surrender.

Well, that's probably the way its going to play for as long as it's in the news. However, it seems to be fading from the front page pretty quickly.

 

[Blue Line]

Regarding the male guard can you say "Wuse"!

 

[AZ_Rebel]

WrongWrongWrong Thinking

I don't personally like the idea of carrying a weapon into God's house. Its supposed to be a place of peace on the day of peace.

My gun is a tool of Peace... carried to keep the Peace... from those who would break the Peace. If I need to use my gun its because the Peace has been broken and I need my gun to restore the Peace! To consider your gun as something "not peaceful" is a fundamental misunderstanding of the role it plays in your life. To the Anti's this is one of their mantras - Guns Are Evil.

 

[RoadkingLarry]

Regarding the male guard

Never having been in a situation like that I don't "KNOW" how I would have reacted. I know how I hope I would react, I know how I see my self reacting but unless one has been in that type of situation then you can't know till it happens. Not every human on the face of this planet is the equal of Ms. Assam. Leave the poor shmuck alone, I have no doubt he has enough self loathing to fill his plate.