Suspect in Unitarian Church Killings Hated Liberals
Jim David Adkisson, the suspect in Sunday's deadly shooting in a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tenn., left a note expressing his hatred for "what he perceived to be the liberals in our country," according to Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen, who said the incident was being treated as a hate crime.Jim David Adkisson, the suspect in Sunday’s deadly shooting in a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tenn., left a note expressing his hatred for “what he perceived to be the liberals in our country,” according to Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen, who said the incident was being treated as a hate crime.
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Police and witnesses said Adkisson pulled a 12-gauge shotgun out of a guitar case and opened fire while children performed Annie Jr. Sunday morning. He fired three times before members of the congregation tackled him. Seven adults were injured. Two had been released from the hospital, and the others remained in serious or critical condition Monday, Owen said
“The intention was to shoot as many people as he could with the expectation he would be killed by the police,” Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam said.
Other potential motives include the loss of public benefits, Owen said.
When searching Adkisson’s residence, police found a letter from the state informing him he would be receiving fewer food stamps or none at all, Owen said.
“That might have been a trigger,” Owen said.
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