God is still in control

a friend posted this story, of the incident that happened in Van Buren, AR  that I mentioned last week. 

by KENNETH FRY, Press Argus-Courier Editor
Circuit Judge Gary R. Cottrell said luck does not explain why a lone gunman failed to kill or seriously injure anyone on Sept. 13 during a 12-minute rampage at the Crawford County Courthouse.
"I don't mean to scare anyone, or become metaphysical, but it is beyond luck," Cottrell said Monday. "If every pastor did not preach on God's divine intervention or God's grace this Sunday, they missed a good chance and should do it this weekend."
Armed with an assault rifle equipped with a laser sight and two handguns, James Ray Palmer, 48, of Alma walked into the courthouse around 3:30 p.m. looking for Cottrell. When Palmer learned the judge was not there, he opened fire, shooting Cottrell's administrative assistant in the leg before exiting the building while firing random shots into the building.
Outside the courthouse, Palmer was shot in the head and torso as he engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. He later died at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith.
Cottrell was not in the Van Buren courthouse on Sept. 13, the result of a knee he twisted two days earlier.
"A trial scheduled for Tuesday had settled," Cottrell recalled. "I normally go in during the afternoon when I don't have court. But for my knee, I would have been there at 3:30 p.m. on that Tuesday."
Cottrell said his son had called him to tell him "someone was at the courthouse shooting everyone."
"I called Vickie (Jones, his assistant) on the office phone and no one picked up," the judge said. "I then called her cell phone and got no answer. I was preparing to go down there when she called and said she had been shot and she told me the shooter was there to get me."
Cottrell said the gunman came to the courthouse to kill him and Sept. 13 will remain a significant event to Crawford County as Sept. 11 is to New York.
"This was an attack on government," Cottrell said. "The was an attack on the seat of government and, on a smaller scale, just as devastating."
For the first time, Cottrell reviewed the Palmer case files on Monday.
The judge granted his wife an uncontested divorce in 2001. A year later, Palmer was back in court on a contempt citation.
"He was behind in child-support payments and he said the visitation with his son was not working out," said Cottrell, who changed the day of visitation and ordered Palmer to pay past-due support and medical bills. Another contempt case was filed in 2003 before Judge Mike Medlock, but was later dismissed.
"This is the only contact I had with him," Cottrell said.
He said he believes Palmer was a controlled individual.
"When he was before me I wrestled control from him and he probably did not care for that," Cottrell said. "He did not like it that he was no longer in control and for more than 10 years it kept eating on him. He lost his job and he apparently blamed it on me when in fact I had very little contact with him at all."
The bottom line is that it is "very hard to make reason from an unreasonable mind," the judge said.
But, the big question that sticks in Cottrell's mind is why.
"I have no doubt God intervened that day and saved everyone's life," Cottrell said. "The only question I have is why. I don't know why. I am happy but will always want to know."
He stressed it was more than luck Palmer's assault rifle jammed three separate times and minutes later used the same gun in a battle with police.
"It hit a police car 15 times, demolishing it, and the officer lived," Cottrell said. "That is more than luck. He put the gun to Vickie's desk twice and it jammed both times. He had Kristi (Jones) square in his sight and again pulled the trigger and the gun jammed. He had Tausha (Treadway) dead to right downstairs and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed again. He meant to kill every one of these people. He pulled the trigger."
Cottrell said it is really easy to say God works in mysterious ways, that he has a plan.
"But, that does not answer the question of why everyone was saved," Cottrell said. "His hand came down on everyone. Those guardian angels were working overtime."

Tausha Treadway is a friend from high school.  she is a gentle soul with the most kind heart. To know that she faced her own possible death in that way, breaks my heart.  For her, and for everyone present, I am so very grateful for God’s mighty presence on that horrible day.  HE most certainly was IN CONTROL!!!