DENVER—Teenage sisters Rachel and Stephanie Works were getting into the family minivan after church services when their father noticed a man, dressed in black, assault rifle in hand.
“And he turned and pointed it at us. I screamed at everybody to get down, that there’s a shooter out there,” the father, David Works, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Friday of the Dec. 9 attack at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
The gunman, Matthew Murray, fatally wounded Rachel, 18, and Stephanie, 16. He wounded David Works and one other person before being wounded a volunteer security guard and killing himself.
Twelve hours earlier, Murray, 24, had killed two young staffers at a missionary training center in Arvada.
In his first interview since the shooting, Works said he remembers seeing Rachel fall to the pavement, hurt, and trying to rush to her side.
“I saw him again point the gun, and felt my belly rip, and fell to the pavement, not having gotten to Rachel all the way,” Works said.
He was released from a hospital Tuesday, one day before his daughters’ funeral.
His wife, Marie Works, said she was with Stephanie, who was slumped over in her seat.
Marie Works said she was pretty certain her daughter had died; she couldn’t find a pulse.
“I knew she was in heaven. I knew she was dead, you know. I didn’t have—I wasn’t sad at that point because I knew she was in a good place. And I have no reason to hate the guy,” she said.
The Works said their faith in God is helping them to forgive Murray, who had been kicked out of the Arvada center in 2002, and who apparently harshly criticized New Life Church in Internet postings.
“I think if my girls didn’t know God, and I didn’t know where they were going after they died, and had that assurance, I know I probably couldn’t (forgive),” Marie Works said.
“About 22 years ago I gave my life to God and that meant everything,” David Works said. “I just didn’t know it was this much.”
