SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas -- Two years ago, 26 lives were lost when a gunman walked into a one-room church and began shooting.

  • Held a private remembrance on Tuesday
  • Memorials placed on the property
  • Survivor recalls her experience

It all unfolded in a small town about a half-hour outside of San Antonio.

The First Baptist Church held a private remembrance event a couple of blocks away from the church Tuesday evening. There were memorials all over the property.

 

 

 

One survivor spoke to Spectrum News and explained how she's honoring the victims now.

 “I watched the gunman put the gun to his back and fire four or five inches away from his back,” Julie Workman said.

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Workman’s son was paralyzed, but survived, after a gunman walked into the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Spring and shot him in the back two years ago.

“God’s hand had to direct and protect some of us so that the story could be told from the inside,” she said.

At that time, Workman already had a story of survival. She was sitting in the second pew and had just beaten breast cancer. Her recent reconstruction surgery deflected the bullet that entered her chest, and saved her life.

“I think God used that as a protection for me,” Workman said.

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Her other son also survived, despite being shot at almost 30 times while running from the chapel.

Twenty-six other people, including children she knew personally, were murdered just feet away.

 

 

 

“Every one of those children, I considered them my own,” Workman said.

Workman said talking helps her cope with the survivor’s guilt.

“It helps me align and file in my brain the things that I saw that day,” she explained.

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She hopes her story can help prevent others from experiencing the same pain.

“I’m a believer in that if we forget our history and forget our past, we won’t learn from it and mistakes are bound to be repeated.”

 

 

 

Workman and other church members urged First Baptist to hold a remembrance event on the anniversary of the tragedy and the church listened.

“It’s a day of thanksgiving. It’s a day of praising God for His grace,” Workman said.

A staff member told Spectrum News that the community was asking the media not to attend the remembrance event. We appreciate how open this community has been with us, so out of respect for the healing members of First Baptist Church and everyone else grieving and healing, we agreed not to attend.