June 2, 2022, I was at a horse project meeting with Luke, when my brother called me. He asked if I was at my church, there had been a shooting. Shock, awe and disbelief, my heart sunk and tears welled. He told me that three people were dead. My thoughts ran every which way. I knew it was Thursday, college night, tonight was the summer college kickoff. I was going to tell my niece Jaynie and Jake to go to, now I am relieved they were not there. The recent Texas elementary school shooting was fresh in my mind and I was thinking the worst. I searched my phone and messaged my friends. They seemed to know everything before any news outlets. My close friend Carolyn's son was there on the scene and saw it all happen. The shooter was after his ex-girlfriend. He knew she would be at church and brought his weapon, shot her and a friend standing with her, and took his own life. That was all I knew at that point and it felt terrible, like a slug in the stomach. This was my church, this was my church family, these are my people, church is my safe and sacred place. In the days to follow more details were revealed. That night an elders meeting had been rescheduled, so all the elders were at the church too. Some 80 college students had been inside the auditorium. Things could have been so much worse had the shooter gone into the church looking for the girl. There were so many students on the scene that witnessed what happened and then there were all those who came out of the church to help. Within minutes law enforcement came from Ames, ISU, Huxley, Nevada, Boone, Story City, and Story county. 2 Students jumped into action and performed CPR on the victims even though it was too late. So many will forever be scarred from the shooting. Our pastor spoke about the scene inside the church, all the students that were witnesses had to be questioned. The large numbers of law enforcement filled the back of the auditorium when the group huddled in prayer on knees and some on the floor praying out loud. Soon police were taking a knee and tears were flowing. So powerful to have God in the midst of chaos and for others to see and hear the word being spoken over them. This is taken from our pastor's post -June 2 • Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two young members of our Cornerstone Church community. It is believed that an adult male shot these two victims and then took his own life. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are not able to give any details at this time. We can say, however, that we are more than saddened by the events that transpired. Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims. Our Ministry staff are available to support all those impacted, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities as they complete their full investigation. We sincerely appreciate the responsiveness of the Story County Sheriff's Department, Ames PD, and all Law Enforcement Officials who have handled this matter with exceptional professionalism and compassion. Please join us in praying for all affected and their families. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted”. Right now, we are brokenhearted and we need God to draw near to us. For anyone interested, we will be holding a prayer service. Eden and Vivian tragically lost their lives as a result of an ex-boyfreind with a mental illness. IT could have taken place anywhere, he had a motive. Both funerals were held at Cornerstone on separate days. The two girls were ISU college students who were strong in their faith and very involved in the church. From our church posy- The families of Eden and Vivian have asked that all memorial donations be made to Cornerstone Church and processed according to the families’ requests. At the request of the family, donations to the Eden Memorial Fund will be used to help with the counseling and care expenses for people present at the shooting. In addition, these funds will help establish a physical memorial at Cornerstone honoring Eden and Vivian and the legacy of faith they had in our church. At the request of the family, donations to the Vivian Memorial Fund will be directed into a scholarship fund through Iowa State for any first-generation or minority students headed into the Vet-Med program at ISU. Beyond these ways, Cornerstone is using general funeral contributions and Benevolence funds to support the victims’ families in any way we can. In-person donations to the families at the funerals will be directed into their respective funds.
Although I did not know either of these girls, I felt a connection knowing they were a huge part of our church family and I donated to each fund. The pain, the sadness, the horrific experience by so many within the church has been devastating. The church has been amazing in handling every detail. Seeking out all those that needed help, counseling, reaching out to those who were affected the hardest. All summer, every sermon had a mention of June 2. Our pastor chose to study Job and give his message this summer on grief, lament, and hope. This has been hard on so many people and will forever be remembered. So many emotions, so many affected, so much tramua. In the midst of it all, we know God is sovereign.
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