Ministry News

Teens Wounded in Shooting at Pentecostal Church

Details

Tuesday, 16 February 2010 13:59

A Richmond, Calif., congregation is looking to authorities for answers after two teens were wounded Sunday when a gunman opened fire during a worship service at New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ in the San Francisco Bay area.

Investigators said roughly 100 people were gathered inside the church when three men wearing hooded sweatshirts entered around 12:30 p.m., the Associated Press (AP) reported. One fired a gun, hitting a 14-year-old boy in the shoulder and a 19-year-old man in the leg. Both victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive. No one else was wounded.

The Rev. Archie LeVias, who is the senior pastor of New Gethsemane COGIC could not be reached for comment, but his daughter and the choir director Rocquel LeVias said she was stunned by the shooting.

"I couldn't believe this was happening in my church! This has been a safe haven for so many people. To try to destroy this is unbelievable," she said.

"We know this could have been a lot worse," said Sgt. Bisa French, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. French said Richmond police now have leads on two of the men, believed to be in their late teens and early 20s.

He said the victims "probably have an idea of why" the three men came looking for them. Local pastors say they are working to keep other youth from retaliating and causing more harm and possible death.

Rev. Andre Shumake Sr., president of the Richmond Improvement Association said, "We're doing our best to curtail it, but these young people are so angry. We're trying to say, ‘No, that's not the correct way to respond.’”

The 80 churches that make up the association have planned a large-scale anti-violence rally for March 6.

Bishop J.W. Macklin, second assistant presiding bishop of COGIC, was at the church Monday and vowed to keep it open.

"You have to refuse to close your door," Macklin said. "What happened speaks to the level of violence, and the level of hurt among our young people.

"But we'll bring thousands of people for a massive rally on March 6. We'll unite together on that day." [charismamag.com, 2/15/10; sfgate.com, 2/16/10]