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03.26.08
i2 Analysis Tools Reveal Timeline for Colorado Shooting Spree
The Arvada Police Department used i2 Analyst's Notebook to develop a timeline as part of an investigative report shedding light on a shooting spree at 2
ARVADA, Colo. – An investigative report on the shooting at the Youth with a Mission Training Center paints a dark picture of the gunman responsible, showing how he was obsessed with both Satanic and religious texts and filled his computer with pornography, including child porn. Matthew Murray opened fire on Dec. 9 at the YWAM center, killing two missionaries. A few hours later, Murray went on a shooting spree at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, killing two more people. He eventually took his own life. The report on YWAM, released Thursday morning, includes a several hundred pages of investigative analysis, a case summary, hundreds of images and audio files of 911 calls and tapes.
The 350 pages shed light on Murray's troubled state of mind, but don't explain why he went on a rampage. He made several cell phone calls that night. His cousin thought he was suicidal and his father booked a flight home to see him. Interviews with his friends and family show a pattern of resentment, feelings of rejection and a desire for revenge, according to the report. A family friend told 7NEWS Reporter Lane Lyon the report has Murray's parents reliving the event "shoulder to shoulder" with the victim's families. "It's still very fresh, they miss their son," said Casey Nikoloric. "They are trying to absorb and process what's happened and that's something they'll be doing the rest of their lives," Nikoloric said. According to the report, 45 people were inside when Murray opened fire at YWAM. He was able to fire off 15 rounds from a 9mm handgun before the shooting abruptly ended when an exterior door closed. Murray was locked outside and was banging on the door when other students arrived from an outing, apparently scaring him off. Dale Lambert of the center said they're not sure how the door closed. "To us, it was praise God the door closed. More people didn't die," he said. Murray showed up at the YWAM building asking if he could spend the night. When he was turned away, he shot four people, killing Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24 and injuring two others. "Is he still in there?" a 911 dispatcher asks on a telephone call. "I don't know but he's shooting people ... Yes, there's people shot," the 911 caller replied. The report explained how Murray returned to his parent's home after the yWAM shooting. Loretta Murray was glad to see his car outside, according to Nikoloric. A cousin had contacted her earlier in the evening and expressed deep concern that Matthew seemed depressed. The next morning, on Sunday, Murray rose early and said "Happy Birthday" to a 17-year-old house guest. Nikoloric said Murray appeared to be in good spirits. "He seemed fine," she said. Police report finding 500,000 pornographic pictures on Murray's computer, including child and homosexual images. In addition, police discovered downloaded material relating to the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings. Murray also posted the statement, "You Christians brought this on yourself." Police determined the statement was created the night before the YWAM shooting and was posted as Murray left his home for Colorado Springs. The report also revealed it was not the first time Murray showed up asking to spend the night at YWAM. He'd done the same thing in 2006 and was allowed to stay, even after he said he had issues with the group. That time nothing happened.YWAM Director Still Has Questions
Peter Warren, director of Denver's YWAM, spoke to the congregation of Faith Bible Chapel Wednesday night about the shootings, saying he didn't understand why it happened, but he trusts God. "Whenever bad things happen, you question your faith, but if you allow that process rather than becoming bitter, it actually strengthens your faith in the end," said Warren. "The bottom line is I don't know why. Honestly, I don't know why. But I know that God is good." He said every time the YWAM shootings come back in the news, church members at staffers at YWAM relive the night. "The police believe he was planning a massacre and that's why he was wanting to stay the night," Warren told YWAM staffers and students. Five years earlier, Murray had gone through YWAM training but felt rejected when he wasn't allowed to go into the field. "The hardest part is living without Tiff because she was such a normal part of our lives," said YWAM staffer Jessica Warren. YWAM staffers said dealing with the loss is a daily struggle but they don't face it alone. "When you have to do something he gives you the strength to do it," said Mark Davies. Nikoloric said Murray's parents hope the report will also serve as a national call to action, "and encourage dialogue about how we reach out to those among us who are lonely, isolated and different."More from i2
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