Church Shooting Being Investigated as a Hate Crime
Suspect Jim Adkisson, 58, was so upset with his inability to get a job that he took his hatred out on the parishioners of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.
Adkisson walked into the church yesterday morning and began shooting during a children’s play, killing two adults and wounding seven others before being brought down by several parishioners.
The Universalist Church had recently been in the news because of activities that Adkisson viewed as liberal. The church has worked towards desegregation, women’s rights and gay right since the 1950’s. The Knoxville Police Chief, Sterling Owen stated that a note found in Adkisson’s vehicle expressed a specific hatred for gay people and that the case is being investigated as a hate crime.
“It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job…and his hatred for the liberal movement…he felt like he was being kept out of the loop because of his age,” said Owen.
Adkisson is being held on $1 million bail.
