Pastor remembers horror that he lived before young gunman of the shooting in Texas

Gilbert Limones and a co-worker at a funeral home were two of the first targets of the young gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a primary school in Texasand since then Limones has dedicated most of his days to helping prepare the burials of the victims and comforting the broken families.

On Sunday, Lemons he changed his role from undertaker to preacher to try to comfort the community and explain a horror for which there are no easy answers. He is also the pastor of Casa El Shaddai, a small church located less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the site of the massacre.

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“When tragedies happen, all the enemy needs is someone willing to act for him,” said Lemons to his congregation of about 35 people, gathered for the first time in a former restaurant that has been converted into a place of worship.

Though Lemons He did not suffer any physical injuries, he said he is exhausted and wracked with guilt that he has not been able to do anything to stop the killing. He has spent hours crying or praying, sometimes both at the same time.

Even so, Lemons he tried to find the words to reassure the faithful he pastors in this mostly Hispanic community of 16,000, who are sad, confused and emotional nearly two weeks after the massacre. Satan brought confusion and pain, he said, but parishioners have a defense.

“Church, your weapon is this”he said, holding up a Bible. It was the first sermon Lemons since the slaughter; he was too busy with work at the funeral home last week to give speeches to the faithful.

Lemons he has salt-and-pepper hair and a wide smile in happy times. He preaches in both Spanish and English, and he was animated to the congregation, which gathers in close proximity to Robb Elementary School and Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home. The two are on opposite sides of Geraldine Street, near where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot his grandmother in the face at his home before attacking the school.

On the morning of May 24, Lemons and Cody Briseno, another Hillcrest Funeral Home attendant, heard a vehicle crash. A gray Ford pickup truck had fallen into a concrete ditch behind the school and in front of the funeral home, and a man dressed in all black was soon seen standing by the passenger door, according to a search warrant.

According to the authorities, Lemons and Briseno walked toward the man, but backed away when they realized he was clipping a magazine to a rifle. Then Ramos shot them several times.

Lemons says he remembers hearing someone yell about a gun and then turning around, only to hear the “pop, pop, pop” from the shots behind him. The armed youth was about 150 feet (46 meters) from him, but somehow missed, the pastor said.

He said he got away as soon as he could and called the police. “I yelled at him, I yelled at (emergency phone) 911“, he pointed.

Ramos then began shooting outside the school and then entered the building through a door that authorities say was unlocked when a teacher closed it. “I saw everythingLemons recalled.

Inside, 19 fourth graders were shot to death along with two female teachers. The policemen in one of the corridors took more than an hour to confront and kill Ramos.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.