CRESTVIEW — Pastor Sinclair Forbes of Mt. Zion AME Church says the Charleston, S.C., shooting hits close to home.
"Two pastors, a high school track coach, a longtime librarian and an aspiring rapper were among the nine victims of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church massacre late Wednesday," USA Today reports.
The shooting — which Lexington, S.C., 21-year-old Dylann Roof, now in custody, is accused of — took place during a Bible study.
That's familiar to Forbes.
"I normally do Bible studies on Wednesday nights," he said. "I've had people come in the church and sit for a while. It's open. We don't lock the doors.
"That could have been any of us … it happened in Charleston, S.C., but it could have happened anywhere."
But Forbes isn't taking his chances, he said.
Going forward, Mt. Zion's services, which have 50 to 75 faithful on any given Sunday, will have more than spiritual protection.
"I'll have my staff fully armed," Forbes said. "I will probably have someone who will be packing … starting Sunday."
But that goal, shared earlier on Facebook, drew some concern.
"You cant just 'carry a gun' and be able to use it effectively," Justin Lindsey said. "It takes a lot of training to be able to shoot a person.
"Like most vets, I've lived with a gun for a long time. I'm really curious about the training regiments."
"Agreed," Wes Wolfe said. "Lots of folks shoot at each other … and barely connect with anything. Which is a silver lining."
But for Forbes, the attacks particularly hit close to home.
The pastor said he knew some of the Charleston victims, including state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, Emanuel's senior pastor; and Daniel L. Simmons Sr., a retired pastor.
"All the pastors in the South Carolina areas I'm pretty acquainted with, through our denomination," he said.
Through the AME church family, he said, he heard of the shooting before media outlets did.
"I had people on the ground last night," he said. "I kinda new firsthand … before CNN and MSNBC had called it."
Since then, Mt. Zion has remained in prayer, and he invites the public to join them from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow at 502 McDonald St.
Forbes also plans to speak with Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor, Okaloosa Sheriff Larry Ashley, and Crestview's clergy members who belong to a coalition that addresses national and local race-related issues.
The idea began after a series of protests, demonstrations and riots sparked last August in Ferguson, Mo., following the death of Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old who was killed by a white police officer who wasn't indicted by a grand jury.
For now, Forbes is reflecting on Wednesday's shooting.
"That could have been me," he said. "So I put myself in a 41-year-old black man's shoes who was a state senator … nine families who are being affected by (one man's) particular behavior.
"It's a tragedy for all people."
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FURTHER READING: As nation mourns, gun control, 'hate crime' talk emerge>>
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church in prayer, soon 'fully armed' following Charleston shooting