The Family Research Center is reporting that a security guard was shot there this morning. From a press release: “The police are investigating this incident. Our first concern is with our colleague who was shot today. Our concern is for him and his family.”
Let’s not rush to assumptions about facts we don’t have. Perhaps instead of commenting, offer a prayer for the guard and his family and one, too — regardless of what happened here and why we could use it — for some calm in the midst of urgency.
UPDATE: Leo Johnson is the name of the man shot. He is the head guard at FRC and by all accounts “beloved” by staff. Friends there stress that the motive is not known but the suspect is in custody.
UPDATE: The D.C. police chief commends the guard’s heroism:
“The security guard here is a hero, as far as I’m concerned,” Lanier said. ”He did his job. The person never made it past the front.”
UPDATE: The National Organization for Marriage asks for an end to the “hate” talk; from a release:
Today, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) immediately condemned today’s attack upon the Family Research Council (FRC) and offered its “heartfelt prayers” for the heroic security guard who apprehended an armed assailant expressing disagreement with FRC’s positions before opening fire, shooting the security guard in the process. The FBI is investigating the incident as a case of domestic terrorism.
“Today’s attack is the clearest sign we’ve seen that labeling pro-marriage groups as ‘hateful’ must end,” said Brian Brown, President of NOM. “The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Family Research Council a ‘hate group’ for its pro-marriage views, and less than a day ago the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement calling FRC a ‘hate group’ – they even specified that FRC hosts events in Washington, DC, where today’s attack took place.”
“NOM has always condemned all violence and vilification connected to our ongoing national debate about the meaning and definition of marriage,” Brown stated. “For too long national gay rights groups have intentionally marginalized and ostracized pro-marriage groups and individuals by labeling them as ‘hateful’ and ‘bigoted’ — such harmful and dangerous labels deserve no place in our civil society and NOM renews its call today for gay rights groups and the Southern Poverty Law Center to withdraw such incendiary rhetoric from a debate that involves millions of good Americans,” added Brown.
Brown concluded: “Violence is never the answer, and on that we all must agree, or risk the consequences.”
3 P.M. UPDATE: The Log Cabin Republicans release a statement:
“Keeping in mind that at this time we know little about the shooter or his motives, whatever our political disagreements, in this country, we use ballots, not bullets, to address them. We offer prayers for the injured security guard, his family, and everybody at the FRC building, barely a fifteen minute walk away from Log Cabin Republicans national headquarters. In many ways, this is a reminder that we aren’t so far apart.”