Chaplains David and Brenda Hicks pray for a mother whose son walked into Marshall County High School on Jan. 23, heard gunshots, and turned around and ran back out. Parents and students alike are experiencing tremendous stress after the shooting that killed two and injured many more. Crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) came to the small town to offer prayer and comfort to the community and those attending the funerals of 15-year-old victims Bailey Holt and Preston Cope.
A total of 14 RRT chaplains deployed to the hurting community after Marshall County Judge Executive Kevin Neal requested their assistance to provide emotional and spiritual care. Among them are Mike Mattingly and David Hicks, along with their wives, Pookie Mattingly and Brenda Hicks. Here, they embrace after praying for each other beside the Mobile Ministry Center.
Signs greet those who enter the grounds of Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky.
Chaplains David and Brenda Hicks, along with Jim Camby and Rick Beer, pray outside Marshall County High School. The chaplains have had the opportunity to pray with pastors, the town's mayor, the regional Red Cross office, immediate family of the shooting victims and the mother of the shooter.
Chaplains take a moment to pray for their team.
It was a full house at Zion's Cause Baptist Church the Sunday after the shooting. Pastor Charles Frazier preached a message of hope to those in attendance and later preached at Preston Cope's funeral. Rapid Response Team chaplains have spoken to a group of community pastors, assuring them God would bring something good from this tragedy and that this was an opportunity to help the lost find Christ.
Please continue to pray for the RRT chaplains, the victims and their families, the shooter and his family, and the entire community of Benton, Kentucky.
