CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 1, 2019 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) is deploying crisis-trained chaplains to the Permian Basin area in Texas to provide emotional and spiritual care after at least 24 people were shot and five people were killed in a series of shootings. The first two chaplains are expected to arrive in the area Sunday morning.
“We are saddened by the shootings in Texas this evening,” said Josh Holland, assistant director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. “We are fervently praying for all of those impacted by this senseless act of violence and are working with churches and law enforcement in the area to assess how we can help address the emotional and spiritual needs in the area.”
The Midland Police Department confirmed on its Facebook page that the active shooter was shot and killed in Odessa. Reports say that three of the injured were law enforcement officers, including a state trooper.
On his Twitter account, Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, asked people to “Pray for the many wounded and for those who have lost loved ones and family members in this senseless act of violence.”
The RRT also has chaplains in Del Rio, Texas, where they are offering respite and comfort to migrants who have been granted legal access into the United States. The team is also continuing to monitor Hurricane Dorian as it threatens the East Coast.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 400 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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