…the sort of thing you never expect…
TRAGIC: Crazed Gunman Shoots down Mother in Church Parking Lot. Her Two Children Hurting to Know Why
Good or bad, some things in life are simply inexplicable. In these instances, posing the question “why?” is fruitless.
Many people believe everything happens for a reason, but trying to justify or understand those reasons is many times beyond our human comprehension. The best we can hope for is to one day make some sense out of it.
A woman and mother of two in Antioch, Tennessee, recently reconnected with her faith in God and started attending a local church, Burnette Chapel Church of Christ. The woman’s 19-year-old-daughter, Breanna Smith, said her mom was finally finding joy again.
Burnette Chapel Church of Christ
Melanie Smith, 39, attended a Sunday morning worship service. After service, she headed to her car, parked in the church’s lot.
Smith never had a chance to unlock the driver’s door. Emmanual Samson, a 25-year-old man who is a legal resident and immigrated from Sudan in 1996, aimed, pulled the trigger, and left Smith lying dead in the parking lot.
Metro Nashville Police say gunman in church shooting is Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25. He has been released from hospital and will be charged with murder and att murder.
Samson then entered the church and opened fire. He shot six more people on his senseless spree.
His motive has not been determined. The incident is being treated as a federal rights investigation and is being looked into by the Justice Department and the FBI.
Breanna Smith and her 12-year-old brother, RJ, though dealing with amazingly difficult times, are taking the high road by making every attempt at staying positive. Breanna said they are choosing to only think of the good times they had with their mom, so this is where they are directing their focus.
The very brave and courageous 19-year-old said she would love to know why this happened, but she knows she will never understand why he (Samson) did it. She went on to say she is not going to focus on him, but rather on her family and the mom she loves and misses.
RJ said this is the sort of thing you never expect to see happen. He said he thought she would live to be 90.
According to Kristiana M Cross
Today has been a very long day for a lot of our family and friends at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ and we’ve been praying for all those who were involved in this tragic shooting. We as humans tend to forget how short life can be and how each day is a blessing for all. We are so grateful that today we got to hug our loved ones and tell them we love them. We as family and friends will continue to pray and pull together through this difficult time. There will be a candle light vigil tomorrow night @ 7:00pm at Burnette chapel church of Christ 3890 pin hook rd. Antioch, Tn, 37013.
We ask all our family and friends to attend rather your a member, friend or stranger to show support and love for all the victims and families who were involved today!
The church held a candlelight vigil. They are immensely saddened by this tragedy.
Samson is locked away without bond. He has been charged with felony homicide, and if convicted, he will never be a threat to society again.
The pastor of the church said what happened is obviously a horrific situation. The church is dealing with the victims and their families, as well as working with law enforcement.
…various parts of the house were being destroyed…
AMAZING: As Hurricane Tears through House, They Huddle in Shower and Say ‘Goodbye’ to Triplet Babies
Those living in the path of destruction of Hurricane Irma had many concerns. What would happen to their homes?
Would they have access to water, food, and power after the storm? Mainly, would they survive?
A British couple shared all of these concerns plus another that was much more unique. Kate Jackson, 33, and her fiancé Alex Ashman, 31, had infant triplets to protect.
Kate Jackson
The couple lived on the British Virgin Islands with their three daughters. Beatrice, Charlotte, and Isabella were between 5 and 6 months old at the time.
Kate’s mother had a home on the largest of the islands, Tortola, so they decided to stay there during the storm. Christine Jackson, Kate’s sister, stayed with them.
Nick Cunha and his wife, Jayne Gray, were friends who sought shelter in the Tortola home, too. Kate and Ashman could use all the help they could get when Hurricane Irma tore through the area.
Kate Jackson
Everybody huddled together in a tiny bathroom. The terror in the room rose as various parts of the house were being destroyed by the hurricane.
They all crammed into the shower while the balcony, kitchen, and then the rest of the house crumbled. The three women each held one of the triplets.
Kate Jackson
The two men, Ashman and Cunha, held a headboard over them. The roof above them was torn off by the strong winds.
The bathroom walls surrounding them were caving in. Cunha opened the bathroom door to see if there was a way the group to get to a solid concrete generator room.
The door blew open revealing that there was no more house. The bathroom had been recently constructed and was the only remaining room still standing.
Cunha told The Sun, “It was a slow-motion moment. That was like staring at God.”
They were coming to the realization that they might not make it, so they started to say goodbye to each other. The thought of the couple saying goodbye to their triplets as they hid in the shower is heartbreaking.
A window was found that the group was able to climb through to reach the generator room. The hurricane tore apart their homes, but did not tear apart this group as they all miraculously survived — including the triplets.