During the ensuing struggle and assault by the robber, the priest lost control of the weapon at the same time another priest Father Walker walked in, realized what had happened and tried to help his fellow priest and was shot and killed by the suspect, who then robbed our Mother of Mercy rectory and fled on foot last Wednesday. Pictured here: Father Walker – killed by the gun owned by the other Priest Father Terra.
It was an extremely disturbing story recently out of Phoenix, Arizona of a catholic priest getting killed and another being beaten so badly that he had to go to the hospital, in what was apparently a robbery attempt at a local church.
Killed was one Father Kenneth Walker by a man named Gary Michael Moran. Moran was later arrested and charged on suspicion of first degree murder, burglary, and armed robbery among other charges.
Oddly enough it turns out that the gun involved in the murder of the priest didn’t belong to the suspect but to one of the two priests involved, Father Joseph Terra, who had it on his person when he answered the door of the rectory to what he might have thought was someone knocking.
During the ensuing struggle and assault by the robber, the priest lost control of the weapon at the same time another priest Father Walker walked in, realized what had happened and tried to help his fellow priest and was shot and killed by the suspect, who then robbed our Mother of Mercy church in downtown Phoenix and fled on foot last Wednesday.
“We believe the motive here is a crime of opportunity to do a burglary, and the burglary was discovered by Father Terra, who thought someone was knocking at the door. He (Moran) opened the door window near the door and started attacking Terra violently and entered the room”, said Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia.
In other words the murder was not premeditated. According to the law a murder in the first degree has to be both willful and premeditated – meaning it was committed after planning and lying in wait for the victim. Which wasn’t the case here.
This raises questions why the suspect was charged with first degree murder in the first place, except cops were out to get him because of the horrific nature and circumstances of the crime. It also may make it easier to force a confession or plea deal.
I also wonder in all this had the gun never entered the equation its very possible the other priest might not have been shot and killed in the first place.
Studies have shown that a gun in the home increases the chance of suicide and homicide.
See article: Guns in home increase suicide, homicide risk http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-guns-in-home-increase-suicide-homicide-risk/
The other question in my mind is what the hell is a catholic priest doing with a gun anyway?
When you have a gun – your not trusting in Christ, your trusting in that weapon to protect you.
Having served in the military l know chaplains from whatever denomination (including catholic priests) are not issued sidearms for self defense in the event their unit is overran by the enemy.
Many men of God, find it morally reprehensible to even have such an instrument of death in the first place.
They are considered non combatants and are afforded special protection under the Geneva Convention, which today doesn’t mean that much, especially when your dealing with bloodthirsty Sunni Islamic terrorists now a day who murder men, women and children, nuns and priests,pastors and anyone else they can get their hands on.
Still the very idea of a priest owning a weapon of any kind is shocking to most people, myself included.
This is one aspect of the story that will be completely ignored by the mainstream media in all this I’m sure.
See related report: Phoenix priest killed, another wounded in attack http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/06/12/two-priests-stabbed-phoenix/10359901/
See video: Priest killed, another beaten badly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAP5Zd7Uvbc