KNOXVILLE (WVLT) – The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in West Knoxville held a rededication service Sunday morning, one week after Jim D. Adkisson allegedly entered the sanctuary about 15 minutes into service and opened fire with a 12-guage shotgun.
According to church leaders, the shooter performed an act of hatred, but ended up unleashing love.
"He came into this space to inflict death,” said Chris Buice, pastor of TVUUC. “He took the life of two, injured six others and traumatized the rest of us."
Nine people were injured during the shooting including Greg McKendry, 60 who was killed on the scene and Linda Kraeger, 61 who passed away several hours later at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
At the time of the service, all but two of the shooting victims had returned home to continue their recoveries. Linda Chavez, 41 was still hospitalized in stable condition. The condition of Tammy Sommers, 38 was unavailable, though four days prior; she had been listed in serious condition.
Around 800 people attended TVUUC’s special service on the first Sunday in August. In front of the packed house of members and visitors, Pastor Buice walked to the spot the gunman fired from, and rededicated the sanctuary.
“This sacred space has seen death,” he said, “Now we recommit it to life."
Church leaders also invited all the children in the congregation up onto the stage, where many of them were performing in a musical at the time of the attack.
"All I have to say is how happy I am to see your faces right here and right now,” said Brian Griffin, TVUUC’s director of religious education. "Something happened here last Sunday and it took a lot of bravery to come into the church"
The service also featured some light hearted moments including when the pastor talked about how three quick thinking members of the congregation were able to subdue the shooter until police could arrive.
“He heard liberals were soft on terror,” Pastor Buice joked, “but he was in for a rude discovery.”
Church members said they were aware the road ahead would not be an easy one, but that with community support, strength and unit, they will be able to move on.
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