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Pastor Rick Warren said Thursday that his son, Matthew, purchased an unregistered gun over the Internet. It was that weapon that he used to take his own life last week after years of battling mental illness. "Someone on the internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun. I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him. #MATTHEW 6:15," Warren tweeted Thursday. The Orange County Sheriff's Department told the Associated Press it is trying to identify the seller, but the gun's serial number was unreadable, making it difficult to trace the firearm.

A few more details have been released about the apparent suicide of Matthew Warren, the 27-year-old son of Pastor Rick Warren, the popular evangelical leader of the Saddleback Valley Community mega-church in Southern California. The Orange County Sheriff-Coroner's Department has announced Matthew Warren was found dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home in Mission Viejo, Calif. ((snip)) The 59-year-old pastor is the author of "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, the church's website says --- making the book the bestselling hardback non-fiction book of all time and...

Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., announced in a letter today that his son, Matthew, 27, committed suicide. In his letter, Warren wrote that "after a fun evening together with [wife] Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life." He also recalled a time years ago when Matthew asked him, "Dad, I know I'm going to heaven. Why can't I just die and end this pain?"

LAKE FOREST (CBSLA.com) — Pastor Rick and Kay Warren’s youngest son, Matthew, has committed suicide, Saddleback Valley Community Church announced Saturday. The evangelical megachurch announced the death of the 27-year-old in a statement. Described as “an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many,” the statement said Matthew suffered from mental illness that resulted in deep depression and suicidal thoughts. He died Friday night.

ick Warren’s son has taken his own life. Matthew Warren, 27, had struggled with mental illness before his death. Evangelist Greg Laurie posted an e-mail the Saddleback Church pastor sent to this staff: “Only those closest knew that he (Matthew) struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.” Click here to read...