A reflection on the Nov. 6, 2009, shootings in Orlando from Tommy Deal, chaplain, associate coordinator at CBF Florida and member of College Park Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla.

It was a typical fall November Friday in the “City Beautiful” as it is called.  In Orlando hundreds of thousands of citizens and tourists intermingled among the area’s attractions, highways and businesses.  I, on the other hand, took the day “off” in order to do some long-awaited chores around the house.

I was making good progress on my check-list.  I began to think how fulfilled I would be in just a few more hours of work to have accomplished all I wanted to do.  Then, something changed; something happened.  A disgruntled former employee of an engineering firm returned to its offices and in a few seconds changed lives forever.  In my busy-ness I would not have known about this except for one small attachment to my belt—a pager.  As a chaplain with the Orlando Police Department it is my digital source of information that keeps me connected 24/7.  After learning of the incident unfolding within two miles of my house, I retrieved my police radio to turn it on to learn more.  Within a few brief radio transmissions I sensed the urgency of what was unfolding.

A quick shower and I soon had my bullet-proof vest and OPD chaplain golf shirt on.  I drove to as near to the Command Post as feasible, parked my car and began walking to offer whatever assistance and presence to the men and women who wore the shield of law enforcement that I could.  I began to sense that this was not, should not, be happening here; it must be in New York or Los Angeles and a TV drama.  No.  This was for real and it was not going to have a good outcome.

My number one concern and prayer as I walked was for the safety of officers who were aggressively attempting to bring an end to this chaotic situation.  I thought of potential victims and others within the seventeen story office building who were scared for their very lives.

At the Command Post I quietly stood to the side amazed at the professional coordination of officers from OPD and other law enforcement agencies, including fire and rescue waiting to assist the injured.  I called for a couple of other chaplains to assist as necessary.  With traffic literally ground to a halt all around downtown Orlando due to the police closing major thoroughfares including the busy Interstate 4, command officers began to seek a place to direct families of employees who worked in the office building.

My suggestion was the nearby College Park Baptist Church.  Quickly the decision was made to ask College Park Baptist Church to open its facilities as a place for families to come for information.  Pastors Shaun King, Susan Deal and Lucas Dorion immediately prepared the Fellowship Hall for guests providing refreshments and tables and chairs.  As well, the deacons were called in as an added source of ministry of presence.

Two police officers and myself and another police chaplain were dispatched to the church to assist with information gathering and sharing.  It was during this time that one of the business’s managers who had taken the day off arrived at the church.  He became a vital link with employees who had been evacuated yet were being detained for witness statements and those seeking knowledge of their safety.  Also, company executives from other offices were able to assemble and began to assess needs they could address.

Around four hours after the incident, and while the initial investigation had begun, the incident commander called for a chaplain back at the scene.  So, Chaplain Jo Wilcoxson and I returned to the scene and were introduced to the fiancé of the sole fatality.  Obviously distraught and in shock, she was walking down deep into this valley of death.  There was not much we could do to comfort her and nothing we could do to change what had happened.  We offered our presence, our touch, and our prayers.  We helped her to connect with her family and her faith.  She had begun to call relatives who all lived four hours away in West Palm Beach.  She called her mother and then her fiancé’s mother.  She asked me to call his mother again because she could not finish the conversation due to her emotions.  After about an hour of trying I was finally able to make contact with her future mother-in-law and fulfill her request.

We began to talk with her about the next steps.  Their six months old daughter was in day care and needed to be picked up before closing.  The detectives took care of that detail.  Victim advocates arrived and together we began to help her connect with a local friend who would be with her until her mother could arrive.

This day ended with the suspect arrested without further injuries or incident.  Employees were allowed to go home and the injured were being cared for in local hospitals.  Police officers returned to normal duties and detectives and crime scene technicians began their arduous tasks.  Chaplains returned to their homes continuing to pray for their officers, the victims and their families, and the other employees throughout the building.

College Park Baptist Church continued to reach out to the most affected, the employees of the engineering firm which was attacked.  Knowing that their work place would not be suitable to return to, and that the employees would need guidance to begin the journey of healing, the church offered the executives their facilities again.  So, on the following Monday morning the pastors recruited pastoral counselors, grief counselors and deacons to be present.  Three chaplains from Orlando Police were also present.  The business hired a public relations firm to assist with all of the minutiae that follows such events, i.e., the hounding news media.  In addition, in a very sensitive way they designed a format for the morning which included comments to the employees from the CEO, Pastor King and Life Coach and Critical Incident Stress Specialist Dwight Bain. The Chief of Police and Mayor of the City of Orlando also came to offer their condolences and support.

Although employees were notified that this event would be voluntary, almost every one of them attended.  Obviously missing were the five wounded who were still in the hospital and the young man whose life was taken.  Invited to this gathering was his fiancé.  She and her baby came, as did both her mother and the deceased’s mother.  What was to be an orchestrated event turned in to a wonderful spontaneous out flowing of compassion and concern, hugs and laughs, stories and tears.  For over an hour, people just clung to one another and shared their stories and thoughts.

Later, a formal time was called and the CEO addressed the employees.  The pastor welcomed everyone and prayed and Mr. Bain gave words of compassion, care and affirmations.  The volunteer counselors recruited by the church and chaplains were present offering support and encouragement.  The large group was divided into two groups.  Each group was allowed to begin to share thoughts, experiences and feelings with the guidance of a trained counselor.  The other counselors were scattered among the groups.  Voluntary words and expressions began to come, tears flowed, and a level of comfort was beginning.  Soon these groups were divided into even smaller groups with one or two of the pastoral counselors present.

Each group was tasked with sharing, as they felt comfortable, 1) what they saw, 2) what they heard, 3) how they feel.  Within the group in which I sat were four employees and one former employee who was a close friend.  Two were on a job site and not in the building; one had just left for lunch.  One was in the building and evacuated as the shooting was going on.  Each one shared his or her thoughts and feelings.  Even if they were not present at the time, they needed and began the journey of healing. As we were concluding to go to lunch in the Fellowship Hall, one of the men said, “If you had asked me was I going to be here today, I would have probably said ‘yes.’  If you had asked me would I say anything, I would have said ‘hell no!’  I must tell you that I am glad I have been here.  It has been good to talk; it has been very, very helpful.”

College Park Baptist provided lunch for the employees and guests.  One employee asked what relationship did the church have with the business; what employee went to church there?  The answer was, “no one.”  Then, why have you done this? “Because it was the right thing to do.”  The church extended its invitation to the company the use of its facilities as needed for its work until it can return to its offices which were being repaired. 

This was being the presence of Christ.  This was walking along side of others, even though before those moments were strangers, as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  They helped those who stared in the face of death to look forward to the new day, to begin to see what new things were being prepared for them.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”