St. Stephen's Episcopal Church continues to recover one year after deadly shooting

BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANKS, BRYLEE. A SOMBER DAY AS CHURCH MEMBERS REMEMBER THE DEADLY SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH SHOOTING HAPPENING ONE YEAR AGO TODAY. AND TRAGICALLY, THREE MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION WERE KILLED DURING A POTLUCK DINNER. THIRTEEN’S PATSY DAVIS AND PATSY DAVIS PATSY DOUGLAS LIVE IN LOCAL, OUTSIDE OR INSIDE OF THE CHURCH. ACTUALLY, RIGHT IN THE FOYER THERE, A SPECIAL MEMORIAL BUILT. WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT, TOO. BUT YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, PASTOR, TO CHAT WITH ONE OF THE FOUNDING PASTORS OF THAT CHURCH. AND HOW ARE THE FOLKS OVER THERE DEALING WITH ALL THIS? WELL, RICK, A YEAR LATER, THEY ARE STILL HEALING FROM THIS TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. OF COURSE, THOSE CHURCH MEMBERS ARE ADJUSTING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. SHOCK, HURT, DEVASTATED FOR A FEW MINUTES, FOR A MONTH. A YEAR AGO, SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH EXPERIENCED SOMETHING THEY NEVER SAW COMING. IT WAS A DEADLY SHOOTING THAT LOST THE LIVES OF THREE MEMBERS. THIS ALL HAPPENING WHILE MANY GATHERED DURING A POTLUCK DINNER. FOUNDER OF THE CHURCH, REVEREND DOUGLAS CARPENTER, REMEMBERING THE DAY WHEN HE GOT THE DEVASTATING NEWS. HIM AND HE AND OTHER MEMBERS, CHURCH MEMBERS LEANING ON THEIR FAITH TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD. WHAT WE HAD TO DO AT SAINT STEPHEN’S WAS TO OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD AND BE BETTER LOVING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENED THERE. NOW, THE LONGTIME LONG TIME MEMBERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES WERE 84 YEAR OLD BART RAINEY, 75 YEAR OLD SHARON YEAGER, AND 84 YEAR OLD JANE, POUNDS. THERE WERE OTHERS WHO WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE THE GUNFIRE DURING THE DINNER. AND TODAY, FOR THAT ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, THEY’RE CELEBRATING BY NOT CELEBRATING, BUT HONORING THOSE MEMBERS WITH A BOOK CALLED THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS. AND OF COURSE, THIS IS REFLECTING ON THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE MOMENT WHEN THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE. THEY’RE HOPING THIS BOOK WILL SHARE THE STORIES OF EACH EMOTION THAT THEY FELT ON THAT DAY. OF COURSE, IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK, IT SAYS THAT IT WILL BRING YOU TO TEARS AS WELL. AND OF COURSE, LATER ON TODAY, THEY THEY WILL HAVE THAT WATERFALL HONORING THOSE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES ON JUNE 16TH. AGAIN, IT’S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. BACK TO YOU GUYS. SURE IS. THANKS, PATSY. WE APPRECIATE YOU. LET’S BRING IN SARAH NOW, TALK MORE ABOUT THE MAN WHO WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON FOR THAT SHOOTING, SARAH. IN THIS CASE, THE VICTIMS FAMILIES WERE ABLE TO AVOID A LENGTHY TRIAL. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. CAROLYN RIGG EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHOOTING, ROBERT SMITH, PLEADED GUILTY TO CAPITAL MURDER. NOW HE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. TONIGHT, THE CHURCH WILL GATHER TO HONOR THOSE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF THIS TRAGEDY. THEY HAVE A SPECIAL SERVICE THAT WILL BE HELD