BULLET-RIDDEN BIBLES…. BLOOD-STAINED CRAYONS
These are not the typical thoughts that come to mind when we think about a small Christian town, but for one community in particular, it was.
On November 5th at 11:20 a.m., 26-year-old suspect Devin Kelley was spotted firing off an assault rifle into First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas.
The suspect shot openly onto the sides of the building and proceeded to enter from the front—all while shooting continuously into the halls of the congregation.
Unfortunately, twenty-six people were shot dead during the Sunday massacre—ranging in age from 18 months to 77-years-old. One local resident heard the shots, grabbed his own rifle and proceeded to engage the suspect. Sometime later, the gunman was found dead, in a vehicle, miles from the original sighting.
“We are dealing with the largest mass shooting in our state’s history,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “We are now focused on moving forward from this incident, but will never forget those we lost.”
After the property was released from investigators, the focus then became for the community to restore the church to a place of remembrance rather-than mourning
“They could have torn the bullet-filled church to the ground,” said one resident, “instead they aimed to bring peace to the families that have lost so much.”
Exactly one week after the shooting, the church doors opened to a pristine-white hall. The only off-set to the blank canvas were red roses and golden lettering on chairs marked by victims’ names.
Biohazard Cleanup Specialists at BioTechs worked tirelessly for 72 hours to make this vision a possibility. At the Sunday reveal, there was not a single bullet hole or drop of blood to be found.
“They gave us 72 to complete this task,” said BioTechs owner Audrey Trinidad. “After I explained to the church that we were the only ABRA certified biohazard cleanup company in the San Antonio area, they felt extremely comfortable with our ability to handle the job.”
When dealing with biohazard contamination and the burden that the scene brings to families, It’s important to only refer properly licensed and certified companies that can safely handle the mess.
“They contacted a few other companies that weren’t certified and didn’t receive the proper customer service, attention or compassion that was needed to carry out this job, says Trinidad. “The words that were shared to me by the pastor of the First Baptist Church, the visiting pastors and the emergency management personnel were priceless. I am very proud of my profession and what we do for those in their time of need.”