Tragedy and Grief after a Mass Shooting in Texas
Tragedy and grief after a mass shooting in Texas. Citizens in Sutherland Springs, TX and around the United States are in shock, pain, and mourning after yet another mass shooting. As you watch the news on TV or listen to the radio or a podcast, these words, tragedy and grief after a mass shooting in Texas, or a form of them often come up.
We have faced the horror of terrorist attacks plus all the previous fires, hurricanes, and floods. Now a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas left twenty-six dead and twenty injured. One family lost eight members. The pastor of that church, Frank Pomeroy, lost his fourteen-year-old daughter and all his close friends. He faces tragedy and grief of an intensity we cannot imagine.
How could twenty-six-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley shoot so many people and then himself? Were there signs he was a troubled person? Yes, Kelley received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force for allegedly assaulting his spouse and their child. He served twelve months of confinement after his court martial in 2012.
Kelley had expressed anger with his mother-in-law who attended that church. However, she didn’t attend the church service the day he shot so many inside the church.
According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Kelley had mental health and disciplinary problems.
I realize that Stephen Paddock in the Las Vegas mass shooting had no prior history of crime or danger signs, but those who show signs of mental health problems cannot be ignored. Mass shootings at everyday places, such as schools, offices, and shopping malls seem to have become common.
What can you do? Would you pray for the emotional and spiritual health of the United States? Would you pray for those suffering from tragedy and grief after the mass shooting in Texas?
Psalm 28:2: “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your Most Holy Place.”
Prayer: Dear God, have mercy on the families of First Baptist in Sutherland Springs and on that community. Give them comfort, peace, and purpose in their new normal. Amen.
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega XI.VI.MMXVII
