First Responder Shares Billy Graham Chaplains’ Impact in Monterey Park

On the day of the Jan. 21 shooting in Monterey Park, California, Sgt. Martin Garcia with the San Gabriel Police Department helped respond in the chaos. Eleven people died when a gunman opened fire in the usually calm neighborhood.

“I’m human, so it’ll hit you. It hits you in the mind, it hits you in the heart,” Garcia shared, thinking about the deadly scene. “I was feeling the emotion, the mental impact.”

When he heard Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains would be there to offer emotional and spiritual care, he said, “It was soothing, just to know that the right type of help was coming. I was able to experience it myself.”

Chaplains have helped the hurting Monterey Park community navigate through their trauma with a ministry of presence and prayer.

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