Grief upon grief

After 8 children killed in mass shooting, LCC deploying team of K-9, HMC, Cares volunteers

HELP LCC BE THERE – SHREVEPORT SUPPORT

A city in shock will mourn together again tonight. 

Eight children, aged 3 to 11, were killed early Sunday morning in a domestic dispute in Shreveport, LA, in the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in more than two years. The community will gather at 6 p.m. for a candlelight vigil in the Cedar Grove neighborhood where the incident occurred.

Lutheran Church Charities will be there. 

Upon the invitation of Rev. Eric Johnson, President of LCMS Southern District, and Pastor Paul Ernewein, District Disaster Response Coordinator, LCC is responding to this heartbreaking tragedy by deploying a team of volunteers from Oklahoma and Mississippi representing LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs, Cares, and Hearts of Mercy & Compassionministries. Together, they will bring presence, conversation, prayer, and an additional layer of wraparound care and comfort for the community.

The team, which will include K-9 Comfort Dog Persis (Christ The Redeemer – Tulsa, OK) will set up eight hearts and crosses for the community to sign, with the HMCs eventually going to the mothers and families to have for their grief journey. 

“We want them to know that they are not alone in this time of deep sorrow — and they are deeply loved,” said Sarah Sekki, Director of LCC’s HMC ministry.  

Seven of the victims were children of the suspected gunman. The eighth was a cousin. Two women, including the man’s wife, also were shot but are expected to survive. 

At a Sunday news conference, Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux asked the public to pray at church services later that morning and described the overwhelming magnitude of the incident, saying it had devastated the entire community. “We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, hurting coroner’s personnel, a hurting fire department. This is maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” he said.  

LCC volunteers will be present Thursday morning for the 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. roll calls of the Shreveport Police Department – Area 4 Substation, which responded to the incident. The team will present Hearts of Gratitude to the station at each event, then they will attempt to visit the 911 Dispatch Center and Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office.  

LCC sends volunteer ministry teams as a reminder to struggling communities that people across the nation love and support them. LCC seeks to provide those impacted by natural disaster or tragedy with opportunities to process their trauma and receive messages of love and hope, ultimately finding the solace that can only come from Jesus.