Pastor Ginny Cetuk wrote about the incident on Nassau Street yesterday; a standoff between the police and an armed man in Panera Bread ended in tragedy. An excerpt below, the complete text here.
…..At the same time, I am deeply saddened by the death of the man. We are called to pray for him and for his family. We cannot know the desperation he knew that led to his actions, but God does.
Please join me in praying also for all involved today. No doubt the shock and trauma of their encounter with such a volatile and violent situation will last for a long time. The next time you visit Panera Bread, I hope you will express your concern for the employees you encounter.
And, finally, let us pray for all who have some kind of mental illness that leads them to feel lost and hopeless. They and their families need our support and prayers…..
Blessings in Christ,
Ginny
Pastor Trey Wince was quoted in this Courier News article by Nick Muscavage about the standoff.
For some time, Princeton United Methodist Church allowed members of the public in to warm up over a bowl of free soup, but later was put on lockdown too. The church, which is on the corner next to the Panera, was offering free tortilla soup as part of its Lenten luncheon program.
But the Rev. Trey Wence decided to invite in “rubberneckers” for some hot soup and fellowship. “The theme of our Lenten celebration is Help a Neighbor, and this seemed to fit,” Wence said.