Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church shooting

On July 27, 2008, a politically motivated fatal shooting took place at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Motivated by a desire to kill liberals and Democrats, gunman Jim David Adkisson fired a shotgun at members of the congregation during a youth performance of a musical, killing two people and wounding seven others.

Shooting
The Unitarian Universalist church hosted a youth performance of Annie Jr. Some 200 people were watching the performance by 25 children when Adkisson entered the church and opened fire on the audience. Originally, people thought that the loud bang caused by the gunshots that were part of the play. Adkisson (born June 25, 1950), pulled a 12-gauge shotgun out of a guitar case and began firing. One person was killed at the scene. The deceased was identified as Greg McKendry (60), a longtime church member and usher who deliberately stood in front of the gunman to protect others. Later that night, a 61-year-old woman, Linda Kreager, died from wounds suffered during the attack. Kreager was a member of Westside Unitarian Universalist Church, also in Knoxville. Others injured by the shotgun blasts include TVUUC member Tammy Sommers, and visitors John Worth, Joe Barnhardt, Jack Barnhardt, and Linda Chavez. Allison Lee was injured while escaping with her young children.

The shooter was stopped when church members John Bohstedt, Robert Birdwell, and Terry Uselton and visitor Jamie Parkey restrained him.

The Knoxville Police Department (KPD) responded within three minutes of the 911 call, and ambulance services arrived only minutes later.

Motivations
Adkisson, a former private in the United States Army from 1974 to 1977, says that he was motivated by hatred of Democrats, liberals, African Americans and homosexuals. According to a sworn affidavit by one of the officers who interviewed Adkisson on July 27, 2008:

During the interview Adkisson stated that he had targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of major media outlets. Adkisson made statements that because he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them into office. Adkisson stated that he had held these beliefs for about the last ten years.

Additionally, one of Adkisson's former wives had been a member (in the 1990s) of the church where the attack occurred.

Adkisson's manifesto also cited the inability to find a job, and that his food stamps were being cut. His manifesto stated that he intended to keep shooting until police arrived and expected to be killed by police. Adkisson had a waist satchel with more ammunition, totaling 76 shells of #4 shot.

The following books were found in Adkisson's home during a police search:
 * Liberalism is a Mental Disorder by radio talk show host Michael Savage
 * Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism by talk show host Sean Hannity
 * The O'Reilly Factor: The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly

In his manifesto, Adkisson also included the Democratic members of the House and Senate, and the 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America of Bernard Goldberg in his list of wished-for targets.

Response
Many Unitarian Universalist congregations held special vigils and services in response to the Knoxville shooting. The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church scheduled a rededication ceremony on August 3, 2008, at which the Rev. Dr. John A. Buehrens, a former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and former pastor of TVUUC spoke. The UUA president, Rev. William G. Sinkford, spoke at a vigil held at Second Presbyterian Church, in Knoxville, on July 28, 2008. A relief fund has been created by the UUA and its Thomas Jefferson District to aid those affected by the shooting. On August 10, the Unitarian Universalist Association took out a full-page ad in the New York Times. The ad carried the message, "Our Doors and Our Hearts Will Remain Open". The Unitarian Universalist Association carries comprehensive coverage of the response of the UU faith community online.

The TVUUC Board voted to rename the 'greeting hall' to honor Greg McKendry, because of his outgoing and friendly personality, and to rename the church library to honor Linda Kraeger, because of her work as an author and professor. An oil painting of Greg McKendry hangs over the fireplace in the greeting hall.

Legal proceedings
At his first court appearance, Adkisson waived his rights to the preliminary hearing and requested the case go directly to the grand jury. Adkisson is represented by public defender Mark Stephens. Stephens indicated that this move was taken to get the case to trial stage as quickly as possible so resources would become available for a mental health assessment of Adkisson, indicating a possible insanity defense.

According to a knoxnews.com article of August 21, 2008, Adkisson was arraigned that day on charges of murder and attempted murder and a trial date of March 16, 2009 was set. He remains in jail on $1 million bond. Also according to that article, "authorities haven't said whether Adkisson might face federal charges in the shooting, but the FBI has opened a civil-rights probe."

On February 4, 2009 lawyers representing Adkisson announced that he would plead guilty to two counts of murder, accepting a life sentence without possibility of parole.