Deadly Tennessee Church Shooting in Antioch, 1 Dead, 8 Injured Including Gunman (Update: Shooter Arrested; Update II: Gunman ID’d as Emanuel Kidega Samson)

 Shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, TN … One Dead ... Say a prayer for the victims and the families of those lost and injured.

One person is dead and eight others wounded Sunday after a masked man opened fire following a church service in Antioch, Tennessee at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ. As church let out at approximately 11:30 am Sunday, a gunman killed one female in the parking lot and then proceeded to enter the church from the rear and opened fire. The woman killed has been identified as Melanie Smith, 39. Smith was a mother of two who lived in Smyrna.  One church member, 22 year-old Caleb Engle, is reported to have confronted the shooter before being pistol whipped in the face. Engle then went to his car to retrieve a gun, which he has under a concealed carry license.

Please say a prayer for the victims. As it turns out it appears that I am friends and acquaintances with individuals who personally know some of the victims involved in this church shooting, including minister Joey Spann and his wife, Peggy. Get well, may the Lord be with you and God bless.

Police say the gunman wore a neoprene ski mask when he shot and killed Smith in the parking lot of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, as the service ended shortly after 11 a.m.

With his blue Nissan Xterra still running, the gunman then entered the rear sanctuary doors of the church and began “indiscriminately” shooting, police said.

Among those shot were three men and three women, police spokesman Don Aaron said.

The church’s minister Joey Spann, 60, and his wife, Peggy, 65, were both injured in the shooting, said Nashville Christian School in a statement on Facebook. Spann is a Bible teacher and a high school and middle school basketball coach.

UPDATE I: Nashville Police have identified the suspect of a mass shooting at a church Sunday morning as 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson, an African American who immigrated from Sudan. So will this be charged as a hate crime?

Samson is being charged with murder and multiple counts of attempted murder in the attack that killed one and left at least seven other people injured at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, a town just south of Nashville, Tenn.

Samson is a bodybuilder who attended high school in Tennessee and is originally from Karthoum, Sudan, according screenshots of the suspect’s Facebook page obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation before the account was taken down. Police say he is a legal resident and came to the U.S. in the 1990s.

“Everything you’ve ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real. & vice versa, B” Samson wrote in his final post, around 11 a.m. CDT.
Emanuel K. Samson facebook page (Screenshot/Facebook)

Police Identify Suspect, Victims In Church Shooting

UPDATE II: Victims ID’d and taken to area hospitals:

In addition to the Spanns, police identified the victims as William Jhaenkins, 83, Marlene Jenkins, 84, Linda Busch, 68, Katherine Dickerson, 64 and Engle, 22. Police identified one of the victims as David Spann — his colleague Mike McPherson confirmed tt Spann’s full name is David Joseph Spann.

UPDATE III: Samson will be charged with one count of murder, additional charges will come later.

UPDATE IV: FBI launches civil rights investigation.

One woman was killed and seven other people were hurt after a suspect identified as a Sudanese immigrant opened fire at a Tennessee church Sunday, police said, as the FBI confirmed it’s launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting.

The suspect, 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson, immigrated from Sudan two decades ago, police said. He’s suspected of bringing at least two pistols and a mask to the predominantly white Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, southeast of Nashville, before

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department tweeted that Samson had been released from the hospital and will be charged with murder and attempted murder.

“The Memphis FBI Field Office’s Nashville Resident Agency, the Civil Rights Division, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee have opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee. The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence,” FBI Memphis told Fox News.

James Matthew Bradley Jr, Driver Says He Didn’t Know Illegal Immigrants Were in Truck … 10 Dead, More Injured

SORRY IF I FIND THIS ONE HARD TO BELIEVE … YET ANOTHER REASON WHY THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER BOARDER SECURITY.

As reported at CNN, James Matthew Bradley Jr., the driver of the “death” truck told authorities that he had no idea dozens of undocumented illegal immigrants were stuffed inside tractor-trailer he was hauling. In a federal complaint filed Monday, Bradley was charged under federal law with one count of “transporting illegal aliens,” a crime punishable by life imprisonment or death if the crime results in a death.  To date, 8 people found in the truck were dead and 2 more died after being hospitalized. Many others were hospitalized with severe injuries and conditions.

Crowded inside of the boiling tractor-trailer, they took turns taking breaths from a hole in the semi. Some fainted. Others banged on the wall to get the driver’s attention but he kept going, one man who survived the journey told federal authorities.

The driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr. told federal investigators he had no idea dozens of undocumented immigrants were stuffed inside tractor-trailer he was hauling. The 60-year-old Florida man was charged Monday with knowingly transporting undocumented immigrants.

The assistant public federal defender who is representing Bradley couldn’t be reached for comment.

The tractor-trailer was found parked at a Walmart in San Antonio early Sunday morning after an employee at the store called police. Authorities found dozens of undocumented immigrants inside.Eight people in the truck were already dead, and two more died after being hospitalized. Dozens more were severely injured, and many will suffer from “irreversible brain damage,” the city’s fire chief said.

Bradley’s story … it should be easy enough to figure out where the haul started from and if he is lying. One of the illegals interviewed by authorities stated the following, at 9 a.m the next day, his group was picked up in a silver Chevrolet Silverado truck and taken to the trailer, which already had about 70 people inside.

“Bradley advised the officer that the trailer he was hauling had been sold and he was transporting the trailer from Schaller, Iowa, to Brownsville, Texas,” on the border with Mexico, the federal criminal complaint says. Bradley said he was delivering the truck to its new owner in Brownsville at his boss’ request, but that he was not given a time frame nor a delivery address, the complaint said.

Bradley later told authorities he was traveling to San Antonio from Laredo, Texas, after getting the tractor-trailer washed and detailed, the complaint said. After the wash at the Laredo truck stop, Bradley said he drove to the “old truck stop,” which was about 10 miles away, to have the tractor-trailer detailed and polished, the complaint said. [...]

“Bradley stated he was unaware of the contents and/or cargo,” the complaint said, until he parked the tractor-trailer at the Walmart and went outside to urinate. That’s when he heard movements in the trailer, the driver told investigators.

“Bradley said he went to open the doors and was surprised when he was run over by ‘Spanish’ people and knocked to the ground,” the complaint states.

“Bradley said he then noticed bodies just lying on the floor like meat. Bradley said he knew at least one of them was dead. Bradley said he knew the trailer refrigeration system didn’t work and that the four vent holes were probably clogged up.”

But the driver didn’t call 911, authorities said. Instead, he went back to the tractor and called his wife.

Yet another reason to increase border security, end human trafficking and these types of senseless deaths.

Democrat Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Says After GOP Attempted Mass Assaination … 93 Million Americans Are Killed By Guns Everyday (VIDEO)

ANOTHER IGNORANT LIBERAL QUICK TO EXPLOIT A TRAGEDY TO GRAB PEOPLE’S GUNS …

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said following the shooting in Alexandria, VA yesterday that 93 million Americans were killed every day by guns. Huh?  McAuliffe, the so-called Democrat darling to run for president in 2020 repeated it, 93 million. Imagine that, there are on 321.5 million people live in the United States. In other words, according to this brain surgeon who was so quick to bring up gun control following the shooting, without knowing any of the facts, it would take 3.5 days to kill everyone in the U.S. by gun violence. Care to amend your data Gov.McAuliffe? He would later correct himself when questioned by a reporter and say 93 individuals. Missed it by that much, McAuliffe says this is not what this day is about, yet he made it exactly about gun control. Interestingly enough, it was the two Capital police individuals that there there as a protective detail that saved all of these Congressmen and prevented this massacre.

“Let me say this, I think we need to do more to protect all of our citizens,” McAuliffe said. “I have long advocated—this is not what today is about, but there are too many guns on the street. We lose 93 million Americans a day to gun violence.”

“Sir, just checking. Ninety-three million is a big number. Did you mean to say 93 million?” one reporter then asked.

“Ninety-three individuals a day,” McAuliffe corrected himself.

Republican House Majority Whip Steve Scalise Shot in Virginia During Morning Congressional Basebal Practice

LAWMAKER SHOT IN VA …

As reported at FOX News, Republican House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot early this morning in Alexandria, Virginia while practicing baseball.  According to Alabama Representative Mo Brooks, shots were first reported on East Monroe Street in Alexandria. at about 7:10 am ET. Louisiana Congressman Scalise was standing near second base when he was shot. Scalise was hit in the hip. Others have also been wounded. The suspect is reported to have been shot and in custody.

Thankfully, Majority Whip Steve Scalise was traveling with a security detail of Capitol police, otherwise this would have been much worse and a massacre.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and at least one other aide was also hit in the chest by a gunman with a rifle who opened fire at a baseball practice in Virginia Wednesday morning, Fox News confirmed.

Police tweeted they “believed” the gunman was in custody. Sen. Mike Lee told Fox News, however, the gunman was dead. He said a staffer used a belt as a tourniquet to stop Scalise’s bleeding.

UPDATE I: Rep. Steve Scalise was shot Wednesday morning in Alexandria, VA.

According to both congressional and law enforcement sources, the shooting appears to be a “deliberate attack.” Alexandria police said earlier Wednesday they were responding to a “multiple shooting” in the city. The tweet also said the suspect is in custody “and not a threat.” CNN has reached out to Capitol Hill police for details.

Brooks said there were a number of congressmen and congressional staffers lying on the ground, and at least one of them was wounded. The Alabama Republican said he used his belt as a tourniquet to help one of the victims.

He said the shooter appeared to be a white male but added that “I saw him for a second or two.” He said the shooter was behind the third base dugout and didn’t say anything.

“The gun was a semiautomatic,” Brooks said. “It continued to fire at different people. You can imagine, all the people on the field scatter.”

UPDATE II: Paul said about 50-60 rifle shots rang out from a distance and “no one on the field had a chance”.

Alexandria police said the suspect was in custody and was “not a threat.”

Scalise was with 15-20 lawmakers who were practicing for the annual Congressional baseball game, according to HLN. Fox said a staffer used a belt as a tourniquet to stop Scalise’s bleeding.

Sen. Rand Paul told MSNBC said he was in a batting cage when it happened. Paul said about 50-60 rifle shots rang out from a distance and “no one on the field had a chance.” He said two Capital Hill police return fire.

UPDATE III: Virginia shooting: House majority whip shot at congressional baseball practice – live.

4m ago 13:44 David Taylor

Rand Paul, the Republican senator for Kentucky, told MSNBC he was practicing in a batting cage just outside the fence to the baseball field when the shots started.

He heard a succession of five or 10 shots and then realized the Republican majority whip senator Steve Scalise was hit on the baseball field and was “trying to drag himself through the dirt towards the dugout”.

Two Congressional staffers were also on the ground, with shots kicking up dirt all around them, he said.

Paul, who hid behind a tree with a staffer who leapt over a high fence, described shots landing in the dirt in the outfield and around them.

He said at one point the gunman, who he thought was armed with a rifle must have reloaded and then there were 50 or 60 shots.

“Everybody probably would have died except for the fact that the Capitol Hill police were there,” he said.

The Republicans have been having regular morning practice at the field for about two months in advance of Thursday’s charity congressional baseball game at Nationals Park.

Armed police were there because Senator Scalise, a member of the leadership is on their team, Paul said.

“The Capitol Hill police, incredibly brave, probably saved the lives of everybody there. Had they not been there it would have been a massacre because there’s no escape, a guy, if he has got 100 bullets, we had no weapons and no place to hide.”

So if he had advanced on the rest of us, there would have been no chance … shots were returned by the Capitol Hill police. From what I understand, they both were shot, I hope they are OK. One still protected the scene after being shot.”

6m ago 08:41

Congressman Mo Brooks said that Scalise “crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood”.

“We started giving him the liquids; I put pressure on his wound in his hip,” Brooks said.

FBI Says … Fort Lauderdale Airport Suspect Esteban Santiago ‘Came Here Specifically’ to Attack (VIDEO)

NOTE TO FBI … THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SERVED IF YOU HAD TOLD ALL OF THIS BEFORE THE SUSPECT GOT ON THE PLANE.

According to the FBI, the suspect in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shootings that left 5 people dead and many more injured came to Florida specifically to attack. How do they know this, the suspect reportedly told them during the investigation. However, this is not the first time that the suspect and the FBI have crossed paths. The FBI still is not saying whether this was terror related. Hmm, even though they say the motive is unclear or whether this may or may not be terror related, doesn’t the FBI usually error on the side of it was not terror? Not in this case as the FBI has egg on their face and a lot of explaining to do.

Esteban Santiago went to baggage claim and picked up his one piece of checked luggage.

There were no other bags, just a case with a handgun inside.

Santiago allegedly took the 9 mm handgun out of its case and fired at other travelers Friday afternoon, killing five people at the Fort Lauderdale airport. On Saturday, authorities revised the number of wounded to six after earlier saying eight.

A few months earlier he reportedly had a mental evaluation after a bizarre visit to an FBI office in Alaska.

Friday’s shooting sent the airport terminal into chaos, with people running for cover. They started running again when rumors of more gunshots and a possible second shooter spread through the busy airport. Almost 40 others would get hurt in the rushed evacuation after the attack. Some suffered sprains and bruises; others had broken bones.