Posted on 07/27/2008 8:19:51 PM PDT by LdSentinal
The man accused of a mass church shooting this morning was described by his Powell neighbors as a helpful and kind man, but one who had issues with Christianity.
Jim D. Adkisson, 58, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, which killed one and injured eight others.
He is being held on $1 million bond.
More details as they develop online and in Monday's News Sentinel.
"He had his own sense of belief about religion, that's the impression I got of him," said neighbor Karen Massey. "We were talking one day when my daughter graduated from Bible college, and I told him I was a Christian, then he almost turned angry.
"He seemed to get angry at that."
According to Massey, Adkisson talked frequently about his parents who "made him go to church all his life ... he was forced to do that."
Adkisson has lived by himself in the neighborhood for four or five years, Massey said. She's lived there seven years.
He told neighbors that he had worked in a factory and driven a truck, but they weren't sure if he was still employed.
He is an avid motorcyclist and rides his bike up and down the road.
He goes by the name, "David," according to the neighbors.
"He only socialized with a few people," Massey said.
"He was very nice ... he's kind of quiet," she said.
Melissa Coker, a next-door neighbor, also expressed shock that he would be accused of such a violent.
She related how he recently helped change a tire on her car in the driveway.
"He was a very nice guy, he said he used to be a truck driver, but in the past six months to a year, he wasn't driving any more," Coker said. "From my understanding, he was retired."
He lives in a white basement duplex, with garages facing the street.
The yard was neatly mowed, and a water hose was coiled up in the driveway in front of the duplex.
Neighbors said he was the guy who would always help them, no matter what.
No one ever saw him with any weapons of any kind, Massey said.
"He's never bothered anyone," Massey said.
No problem! You’re very welcome. I was wondering myself what he looked like.
You're looking at this from a rational viewpoint. This guy was a nutter- maybe he really hated this church more than other neighboring churches because he didn't like the color of their roof.
It's a mistake to look for logic in an act like this.
Now, that's interesting. All the other reports I've read seemed to say that he thought the Unitarian Church was too liberal in its teachings, and created the assumption that he was a conservative Christian.
If he wasn't a Christian, what beef would he have with the Unitarians, who, I believe, don't recognize Jesus as Divine, as Christians do.
Would you be a Primitive Baptist? I ask because you talk like a lot of the PB's in my family.
A what?
With the crap that gets posted here some days, it's not outside the realm of possibility....
Sounds just like his victims.
What a screwed up guy.
I'll take that as a no. :)
Sorry, but I’ve never heard of them...
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