{"id":938,"date":"2023-08-25T18:49:45","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T18:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/25\/saddleback-offers-support-to-those-affected-by-cooks-corner-shooting\/"},"modified":"2023-08-25T18:49:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T18:49:45","slug":"saddleback-offers-support-to-those-affected-by-cooks-corner-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/25\/saddleback-offers-support-to-those-affected-by-cooks-corner-shooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Saddleback offers support to those affected by Cook\u2019s Corner shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Cross above Saddleback Church’s main worship building and campus in Lake Forest, California.<\/span> | Christian Post\/Alex Murashko<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saddleback Church members are comforting those who are grieving following a mass shooting at a bar near the church’s main campus that left four people dead, including the suspected gunman.<\/p>\n

Known as Cook\u2019s Corner, the Trabuco Canyon bar was the site of a mass shooting<\/a> Wednesday night and is within a few miles away from the Lake Forest campus of Saddleback.<\/p>\n

Saddleback Pastor Andy Wood explained in emailed comments to The Christian Post that he met with local law enforcement and they \u201cset up a base camp at our Lake Forest campus\u201d while church members \u201cwent to the hospital to minister to families,\u201d including the family of one of the victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a tragic event that has left our community heartbroken and dismayed,\u201d said Wood, adding that \u201cthe one word that I experienced amongst all of them was heartbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful for our local law enforcement and their quick response which saved many more lives. Now the work of comfort and the long journey of healing begins. And that\u2019s where the church comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Police respond to a mass shooting at Cook’s Corner bar in Trabuco Canyon, California, on August 23, 2023. <\/span> | Screengrab: YouTube\/FOX 11 Los Angeles<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wood believes the Church needs \u201cto practice the ministry of presence right now,\u201d noting that believers \u201cdon\u2019t need to have answers or say anything profound\u201d at this point, instead \u201cwe just need to show up and sit with people who are hurting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bible teaches us that God draws near to the brokenhearted, so in times like this, we draw near to God, because he promises to draw near to us,\u201d he continued. \u201cPrayer is our first response, not our last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n

In keeping with the importance of prayer, Saddleback is scheduled to host a community prayer vigil <\/a>on Friday evening at their Lake Forest campus and the surrounding community is invited.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe invite anyone and everyone to join us in prayer for the family and friends that have been devastated by this tragedy, for the first responders and medical staff, and for healing in our community,\u201d Wood told CP.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaddleback Church is committed to continue to do the same thing we\u2019ve always done since launching in 1980, serve people in pain,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe are committed to walking with people for the long haul and will be with them in the weeks, months, and years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office announced<\/a> Thursday that they identified 59-year-old John Snowling of Ohio, a retired officer with the Ventura Police Department, who had served from 1986-2014, as the suspected shooter. \u00a0<\/p>\n

According to authorities, a preliminary investigation indicated that Snowling allegedly drove from Ohio to California \u201cto target his wife over a domestic dispute,\u201d having brought multiple firearms with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe suspect fired multiple rounds at the deputies with at least one round going through the windshield of a patrol unit,\u201d reported the sheriff\u2019s office. \u201cA deputy-involved shooting involving multiple deputies occurred, and the suspect was later pronounced deceased at the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter <\/a> or Facebook<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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