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Published on 07/27/2008 at Sun Jul 27 15:15.



Knoxville Shooting Shocks the Community

Posted Sun Jul 27th by

I’ve been away from the blog for almost a whole month now as my work and personal life have both been extremely busy and extra crazy. However, all of that seems pretty trivial after the horrific morning we’ve had here in Knoxville.

This morning a gunman entered a downtown church and began shooting members of the audience with a shotgun as the children were putting on a performance.

This church is literally down the street from where my wife and I were attending church this morning. We also personally know several people who attend this church. At this point the news is reporting that two of the seven victims have died and several of the others are in critical condition.

Saddest of all, one of the men that died this morning was a fellow foster parent in Knox County. He died stepping in front of the gunman as he headed toward the stage (and the children). Allison and I know his foster son, Taylor, who was backstage when this all went down. We are also very close to other people that have helped Taylor over the last year, all of whom are going to need all the prayers and support they can get.

I know this is a Denver Broncos blog, but I also understand that those of you in Colorado have first-hand experience of the devastating effects this type of random violence can have on a community.

I only ask that you keep Taylor and all of the members of this church in your thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks and months as they try to deal with this tragedy.

Please be safe.

Jonathan Douglas

  • Person

    My prayers are with your family and friends

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    Be strong Jonathan, there’s going to be a whole lot of questions and not many answers… I was in Wyoming during Columbine and New York City during 9-11, let us know if there’s anything that we can do to help.

  • http://www.broncomadness.com Garret Barnes

    That is absolutely terrible. My best thoughts and hopes are with you, your friends and family.

  • kerry

    Jonathan you and the families of the victims have our thoughts and prayers always. i blog alot on the Denver Post and have asked that fellow Bronco bloggers stop by here to leave comments also. be safe and be strong.

  • HogBlog

    God bless you all in this unconscienable time of loss. Be strong for your families and those who lost loved ones.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Jonathan Douglas

    I greatly appreciate your kind words.

    I will definitely pass along your comments to our friends that were directly involved in today’s events.

    A few of our friends that are members of the unitarian church will be attending a meeting tomorrow to discuss what the families effected might need going forward. I’ll keep those of you that are interested updated.

    Right now, it’s just hard for us to see people you care about hurting. I’m as much ‘on the outside looking in’ as you folks, and like many of you have experienced, it’s just hard not being able to DO anything to help them right now.

    Hopefully, our community will come together in a way that turns this horrible event into something positive.

    Thanks, again, for your thoughts and prayers.

  • Clarence Mendenhall

    I am so sad and concerned for this church family, my prayers are with all of you, how will these children ever get over this. Frist it was our schools and now it is our churches, we (none of us are safe), God
    bless each one effeced.

  • Andrew

    Jonathan, I’ll say a prayer and keep you and all of the victims, their families and friends in my thoughts.

  • Cheryl T.

    I’ll never understand these senseless tragedies. Prayers go out to you from California.

  • kerry

    johnathan we will definetly wanna be kept apprised of the situation there in Knoxville. ill admit im not a religious person but nobody should suffer tragedy in their house of worship like the people of Knoxville did. we hope everybody there can endure this horrible time. everybody is with you.

  • Danish Denver-fan!

    I’m not a religious man, so my prayers won’t do much good, but my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives.

    Random violence is the absolute worst kind of violence. It seems so meaningless that 100% innocent people are the victims – to fault of thier own.

    Even though I’m on a different kontinent, this has already ruined my monday…

  • Danish Denver-fan!

    Sorry! It was supposed to say: “to NO fault of their own” – obviously!

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    That’s terrible news Jonathan. Our family and church’s prayers will be with your community. These things become so much more real when people you know are directly affected by them.

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    That’s terrible news. Good luck to you and the city of Knoxville, man

  • Em Smith

    The harm that was done to these innocent people is harm that is done to all of us. My heart goes out to each of the victims, their families and friends.