CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 18, 2018—Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team have been deployed at the invitation of Wyandotte County Sheriff Donald Ash to the Kansas City, Kan., area following Friday’s shooting deaths of two law enforcement officers.
Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputies Patrick Rohrer, 35, and Theresa King, 44, both died after suffering fatal gunshot wounds sustained from one of the inmates they were transporting to the Wyandotte County Courthouse. Both deputies were seasoned veterans of the force and parents.
“We continue to see a rise of violence against law enforcement—those who have committed to serve and protect our communities,” said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. “Please pray for the Kansas City area; and for the families of the deputies and suspects involved, the Wyandotte Sheriff’s Office, and the entire community as they mourn the loss of these two officers.”
Two chaplains arrived on Sunday ahead of the planned candlelight vigil. Five additional chaplains will arrive Monday and stay through the funerals of Deputies Rohrer and King. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has deployed to seven shooting-related tragedies in 2018, four of which have been in response to law enforcement fatalities. In addition, a team deployed over the weekend in response to recent tornado outbreak in Connecticut alongside Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization also headed by Franklin Graham. Together the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who have been affected. Chaplains are also continuing ministry on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, in response to historic flooding and on Hawaii’s Big Island in response to the eruption of the Kilauea volcano.
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 280 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
