A Look at Matthew Murray and Other Church Shootings

Police believe a young man named Matthew Murray, 24, is responsible for the two shooting that took place in Colorado on December 9. The first attack took place at a missionary training school named Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Arvada, CO which is a suburb of Denver. The next target was the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO and only about 65 miles from YWAM. Police believe the missionary training center was the "common denominator" for the two shootings. While it is unclear still whether or not Murray shot random victims or had targets he was firing at, two sisters killed at the New Life Church, Stephanie and Rachael Works had also attended YWAM.

Murray came from what has been described as a religious background and family. Murray's father, Ronald, is a respected scientist and neurologist and is said to be a Christian. He is the chief executive of the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center in Englewood, CO and a leading MS researcher.

Matthew Murray is believed to have been studying at YWAM but was unable to finish the program due to "health reasons" three years ago. The center has not elaborated on what the specifics were in Murray's case but stated that "the program directors felt that issues with his health made it inappropriate for him to" finish the program. According to police, since Murray left YWAM, he has sent the center hate mail.

While the full extent of Murray's motive is still unknown, police believe it was because he "hated Christians." Murray's own writings confirm that notion. "You christians brought this on yourselves...All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world," writes Murray on a website for those who have left religion. His writings closely mirror what Eric Harris wrote before he committed the Columbine school killings. Murray's hatred of Christianity is evident in the anti-Christian sentiment of his words.

Attacks against Christians have been on the rise globally with an estimated 45.5 million Christians killed throughout the world in the 20^th century alone.