Shooting Incident at
Way Truth Life Radio

Our radio ministry building at 2020 Cato Avenue in State College, PA was the scene of a tragic shooting incident on the morning of Friday July 25, 2008.

First, we want to let all our friends know, we are all OK.   We have deep gratitude to the Lord for His gracious, sovereign protection and for the incredible bravery of the local police officers who put their lives on the line to save ours.

Here is what happened:

At about 10:05am, we received a phone call from a concerned man warning us that another man had entered his place of business, armed with a shotgun, indicating that he was headed to our radio station.  The caller told us that this was a "credible threat" and that he was contacting the police.  We took this message extremely seriously.  Let me say that if you ever have someone even hint of a threat to you, take it seriously.  If it's a crank call, everyone can laugh about it later.  If it's real, you may very well save lives.

At that point, we locked down the station building, shut off all lights and moved to a position in the building away from exterior facing rooms and windows.  In the station with me was Tom Betz, our morning announcer and Sharon Doster, a secretary.  Sharon had walked in the door only minutes earlier.

By this time, we noticed that the Ferguson Township police were already at our station.  Two units were in position, blocking the entrance to our driveway and several others were moving into place.  A police officer came to our door to warn us about the threat and advised us to take cover in an interior portion of the building.

Perhaps 15 minutes later, the individual, identified by police as Brian Neiman, arrived at our facility in a white Ford Bronco SUV.  We could hear the sound of an engine revving and then heard a shot.  I caught a glimpse of the Bronco in our parking lot, the police officers had rifles drawn.  We moved to the opposite end of the building for protection.  We could hear more shots and the sound of the vehicle in motion.  From the hallway I could see out to a window facing Cato Avenue and spotted him moving westward.  We thought he was leaving the scene at this point.  We were wrong.

Again, we heard the roar of the Bronco engine.  It sounded like he was driving to the west of our building, where there's no pavement.  We glimpsed him driving on the back lawn of our property, headed toward our door.  At this point we feared he would try to enter the building through the back, where there weren't as many police officers.  We moved to a more secure location in the lower level of our building.  Multiple shots rang out and we could hear his engine revving again.  From a distance, we could look out the downstairs front window and see police officers crouched down on Cato Avenue with rifles drawn facing east toward our parking lot.

We later found out that the gunman was at the top of our parking lot, gunning his engine.  At some point during all this the gunman fired on police.  There is also a dramatic media picture of him attempting to hit two police officers who were on foot.  Finally, he rammed his vehicle into two police cruisers at the bottom of our driveway.  We understand that police returned fire and that the gunman died. 

Finally, the gunfire stopped.  After a few minutes we saw the police officers who had been in a defensive position on Cato Avenue moving about freely.  Onlookers began to gather across the street.  It appeared the crisis was over.  We called 911, who confirmed that that was the case.  We then called our spouses to let them know what happened and that we were OK.

We are so profoundly grateful to God for His sovereign and gracious protection not only for us, but for all of the other people in the immediate vicinity, including the many law enforcement officials who courageously came to our aid.  During the crisis and after we could sense His mighty peace, strength and grace enfolding us.

We are so thankful to Jason Penland, the man who first contacted us and the police, forewarning us of the danger.  I give his name here, as it has already been published in some media reports.  He exhibited God-given courage and calm, despite facing a gunman with a loaded semi-automatic shotgun.  Jason had the presence of mind to alert us and the authorities.  We shudder to think what might have happened if Jason had not alerted us and the authorities in a timely fashion.  A side note about Jason:  he volunteered as one of our cabin counselors at Camp Kanesatake for two years.  It's amazing how God puts His people in the right place at the right time.

We are immensely thankful to the local law enforcement officials who came to our aid and put their lives on the line.  While we "hunkered down" in safety, they moved straight into danger to protect not only us, but everyone else in that area.  The offices around us were busy and full.  People were walking down the street.  These brave men and women bravely and professionally responded to save lives.  We owe them a deep, deep debt of gratitude.  Specifically, we thank the Ferguson Township and State College Police departments for their prompt and brave actions.  Other departments responded.  By the time the incident was over and we were able to step out of the building, I saw more police vehicles there than at any other time in my life.  We were impressed with the professionalism and calm of all of the law enforcement officials during and after the incident.

And praying listeners -- we say this often and with this crisis we say it even more emphatically:  thank you, thank you, thank you for praying for us!  Not just prayers for our protection and everyone involved in our ministry, but prayers for the effective work of God's ministry here at CPCI.  Please, continue to pray that in all that we do here, all would be done for the glory of God alone and the advance of His Kingdom.

So what should you pray for at this time?

• Pray for the law enforcement officials and their families who responded and did their very best to handle the situation and protect lives.  This is not easy for them or their families.
   

• Pray for the police investigators that they would effectively discover the truth about what happened.
   

• Pray for Brian Neiman's family and friends.  This is a very dark and sad time for them.  They're hurting and they need our love and support.
   

• Pray for other witnesses in the area at the time of the shooting.  This is a very trying time for them.
   

• Pray for us as a staff and our families.  This situation is not easy to deal with. 
   

• Above all, pray that God would be glorified through this situation.  Pray that Jesus Christ would be exalted, the Gospel boldly proclaimed and more souls coming into the Kingdom of God as never before.

So why did this happen?  Why did this happen to us?  Perhaps we will never know. 

We had absolutely no indication before Friday at 10:05am that anyone had ill-intent toward our ministry.  No threatening phone calls, mail, email or communications of any type.  It was a beautiful Friday morning and "out of the blue" this crisis came crashing down upon us.

That happens sometimes in life.  All of us can face sudden, overwhelming crisis. 

But this is what we do know:  God knew all about it.  He knew about it ahead of time.  As we look back over what happened over the course of Friday July 25, 2008, we can see how He graciously moved to protect us and many, many others around us.  Quick and responsible action on the part of Jason Penland to alert us and the police to protect us averted what could have proved to be an even bigger tragedy.

We bear no ill will whatsoever toward Brian Neiman.  We understand that he was a troubled man.  Unfortunately, that troubled man was armed and in our sad day of frequent shootings, we must take public safety seriously.  I talked with Jason Penland about the situation the day after the shooting.  Jason's assessment matches our own: heartbroken.  I know the law enforcement officials would have much preferred a peaceable surrender and resolution.  Apparently, that was not meant to be.

Friends, it's in moments like these -- times of tragedy, crisis and loss -- that I believe Almighty God pulls back "the veil" around our comfortable and cushioned lives and shows us a glimpse of reality.  The stakes are very, very high.  Jesus said that the devil has only one agenda: to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10a). 

Jesus died a horrible, cruel death at the hands of sinners.  He took the awful load of our sins upon Himself.  He who "knew no sin" was "made to be sin" "for our sake".  Why?  "So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21, English Standard Version).  He shouldered the full wrath of God, justly due for sinners like me.  He shed His innocent blood to provide atonement -- oneness with God -- as well as paying the ransom for the devil's claim over our lives, redeeming us from the curse and make us God's own cherished, purchased possession. 

The sheer awfulness of what He faced, what He bore on that cruel cross two thousand years ago is more than equal the awfulness of sin and its curse.  He died a death that bad to deal with a fallen human race which was that bad. 

Sometimes our Christianity can take on a sterile, cushioned and sugar-coated quality that is devoid of the stark reality of sin and its horrendous effect on sinners.  At times like these, God shows us the truth about sin and the condition of the human race.

God sovereignly uses situations like we faced on Friday July 25th to show us the seriousness of our mission.  Friends, it's a matter of eternal life or death.  It's a matter of souls that are hopelessly lost apart from Christ on one hand and the radical mission that Jesus has given us to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

What do we do now?  We are more convinced than ever about the importance of our mission.  Jesus gave it to us, 2000 years ago:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

Mark VanOuse (Station Manager, Way Truth Life Radio)
along with Ed Fleming (Executive Director)
 

WTLR Radio