FBI joins probe of church shootings in Fayette

Fri, 01/23/2009 - 7:20pm
By: Cal Beverly

Gunshots strike 2 historically black churches while they were unoccupied

The FBI has joined the probe into two incidents during the past week in which gunshots were fired into unoccupied black churches.

Flat Rock A.M.E. Church located at 148 Old Chapel Lane, Fayetteville, Ga., an historic congregation that has been meeting for more than 150 years, was the latest to receive gunshot damage during a time when no one was at the church.

Earlier this week, Peachtree City Police were investigating a shooting that damaged one of Fayette County’s oldest churches early Tuesday morning.

Those shots were fired into the front door of Bethlehem Baptist Church, located on Dividend Drive between Kelly Drive and Crosstown Drive in what is now the city’s industrial park area. No one was at the church at the time, police said.

Police said they have narrowed down the time frame the incident occurred at the Bethlehem Baptist Church from roughly 6:45 to 7:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Bethlehem is a predominantly black church and has been since its inception.

Police are following all leads and possible motives for the incident, police said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation helped process the scene, police said.

Now with the second church shooting reported in the same week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Peachtree City Police Department, and Fayette County Sheriff’s Office are cooperating in the expanded probe.

The police report late Friday afternoon gave no details on the Flat Rock A.M.E. shooting.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the FBI at 404-679-9000, the Peachtree City Police Department at 770-487-8866 and/or the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at 770-461-6353.

According to The Citizen archives, “The church originated in 1854 as a place of worship for slaves on Spears Plantation, which was approximately two miles south of the current church location. Flat Rock A.M.E. Church became the cornerstone for the organization of other African American churches in Fayette County. Church historical accounts and previous newspaper articles note that Flat Rock was the forerunner for the establishment of Little Vine Baptist, established in 1866; Edgefield Baptist, organized in 1870; and Wilkes Grove, organized in 1916.

“The church has been rebuilt and remodeled several times over the years. In 1917, the church and many historical documents were destroyed by fire but the structure was rebuilt. In 1953, it was remodeled to add rest rooms and a choir loft. The current building was constructed in 1978.”

Bethlehem Baptist “was first organized under a brush arbor in 1867 and in 1878 James A. Arnold, a white landowner, deeded two acres of land to the members. The first building was very near the present one at 475 South Dividend Drive, opposite Peachtree City’s Falcon Field.

“This community, which was first known as Clover, is now Peachtree City.

“In 1904 a tract of land was purchased behind the church to serve as its cemetery and it is still in use.

“A school for African-American children, grades 1 through 7 operated there until 1954.”

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cowtipn's picture
Submitted by cowtipn on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 1:09pm.

Maybe someone was just celebrating after the inaguration. No need to assume that this was malicious.


cyclecircuit's picture
Submitted by cyclecircuit on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 12:44pm.

Google AME and you might find http://www.ame-church.com/; historically black would mean exactly what it says, it is not a trick answer. If you didn't know there was an AME church on Old Chappel Lane then I assume you never had occassion to short cut the corner to Huiet Rd 'cause the church has been there longer than I've been alive and I remember the Kennedy and King assasinations. I wonder what the people that post here do with thier lives? You know, there are all kinds of people in the world, good , bad and ugly; just make sure where you stand when the day comes for an accounting.

this isn't Kans... err, a, Fayette county anymore


redrooster's picture
Submitted by redrooster on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 7:55am.

Copy and paste

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331&hl=en


Steve Brown's picture
Submitted by Steve Brown on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 7:28pm.

I will be attending church at Bethlehem Baptist on Sunday to show my support and I pray others will too.

I pray the Christian church will reconcile and this is an opportunity to begin that process.


Shoebox's picture
Submitted by Shoebox on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 4:30pm.

EVERY...I REPEAT...EVERY...CRIME IS A HATE CRIME!!! AND THE IDIOTS WHO SHOT AT THE CHURCH NEED JESUS CHRIST IN THEIR HEARTS...INSTEAD OF THE ENEMY!!!


Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 11:58am.

...but against blacks? Maybe.

Or the shooter could just hate Baptist's!

who knows...


hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 12:03pm.

Maybe it was sniffles, we all know how he feels about Baptist, was the church on the south side of town, he really hates the southern Baptists.

I yam what I yam....Popeye


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 1:10pm.

Then again, Muddle was telling all of those Baptist jokes a few months ago that ticked off the local (and humorless) moral police.

Prime suspect if you ask me.

Book him, Dano.

___________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 1:28pm.

Did they find any BB's?

I yam what I yam....Popeye


Submitted by dollaradayandno... on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 4:30pm.

One wounded squirrel who really did the door damage!

muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 2:17pm.

touche'

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


dawn69's picture
Submitted by dawn69 on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 2:17am.

Let us all hope that the shooter is caught before anyone is hurt. I am assuming, but may be wrong, that the perp is a white man. Just when you think that we as a people have transcended the myopic bigotry of the past, along comes those (of all colors) that wish to set us back 40 years.

"I will allow no man to degrade my soul by making me hate him."
- Booker T. Washington


Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 9:45am.

First of all most people didn't even know that little church was there at all. Did anyone know it was a "black church"? I ask because none of my friends or neighbors even knew it was there. There is only one that I had ever heard of in Fayette County that is a historic so called "black church".

I'm cynical.

Where I work many people have received "mysterious" hateful racist messages. The only problem is when these "mysterious" incidents are ivestigated through security cameras and fingerprint and handwriting analysis come to find out the individual trying to cry racism has actually been found to be responsible for the whole thing. That includes security camera footage of a "mysterious" car window that was "found" broken. I have seen too much of this in 18yrs.

Having said that whoever did this is VERY SICK!!!

It is a shame when churches have to put in security cameras to be safe, but it looks like that is what it has come too.

Submitted by Davids mom on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 1:44pm.

Gunshots strike 2 historically black churches while they were unoccupied.

The FBI has joined the probe into two incidents during the past week in which gunshots were fired into unoccupied black churches.

Flat Rock A.M.E. Church located at 148 Old Chapel Lane, Fayetteville, Ga., an historic congregation that has been meeting for more than 150 years, was the latest to receive gunshot damage during a time when no one was at the church.

It was 'white' friends who told me about the history of these churches - so there must be some Fayetteville citizens who are aware of the history.

I agree - SICK.

Submitted by dollaradayandno... on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 4:40pm.

What is a historically Black Church?

Do we have Historically White Churches?

Not being mean, just don't know!

Is it like the Masons are Historically Religious Organizations?

Submitted by Davids mom on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 8:19pm.

Churches that were established by black congregations/or for black congregations. These churches were not established just for blacks - but according to custom, usually only 'blacks' attended. Christian churches in the early days were segregated - and the AME church was established because 'blacks' were not treated equally in the 'white' church. Most Christian churches in the United States were 'segregated'. This changed dramatically during the late 50's and early 60's. We still have historically white and black churches rights here in Fayetteville.

Submitted by Bonkers on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 5:03am.

I know they couldn't attend "white" churches many years ago. Probablt still aren't welcome in some--just as whites are not welcome in some.

My question is about "NOW" however.

We see the same thing in Colleges! Beauty Pagents, etc.

It is as if they both still want to be seperate!

Submitted by Davids mom on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 3:52pm.

The reason the word 'historical' is attached to these institutions is because of their past history of separateness. In this country we have the right to attend events/churches of our choice - without ignoring or discontinuing those events/churches that were established in earlier times. I've seen more integration in the churches in Fayetteville than in many churches in California. People go where they have their spiritual needs met. That's their right.

Submitted by Nitpickers on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 6:06pm.

"Without discontinuing those in earlier times" (When whites did not attend them)

Care to explain exactly what that means?

Submitted by Davids mom on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 6:45pm.

Sorry about the confusion. To discontinue or close historic black churches or historic black events is not necessary. There are 'whites' that do attend historic 'black' churches - and historic 'black' events - and vice versa. Citizens can make the choice. To attend and continue a tradition is not necessarily 'wanting' to maintain separateness - in most cases - but simply honoring a tradition. One goes where they feel comfortable - when in the past - it was where one was 'allowed'.

hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 7:44pm.

Please revise your grammatical errors.
How about: historical black churches and historical white churches?

Just thought I should clue you in because my daughter is about to have a conniption.

I yam what I yam....Popeye


Submitted by Bonkers on Sun, 01/25/2009 - 5:00am.

You will have to speak to Cal about your complaint!

Not sure why he used the adverb "historically," instead of the adjective "historical!"

I wouldn't dare correct CAL!

Personally, either one is OK, depending upon one's meaning!

You and your kid don't have much to do, do you?

muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 4:48pm.

I'm not sure, but the history of the A.M.E. church is really interesting. I would actually like to learn more. With subdivisions and strip malls superimposed, it is not always easy to realize that there was a (slave) plantation here or a battlefield there. Jonesboro used to have historic markers up along 54, indicating that this or that house was used as headquarters and stood where some wretched business now stands. Even those--many, anyway, are gone.

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


Submitted by Davids mom on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 8:12pm.

I usually don't go to this source for information - but it is the closest to the information that I was taught as a child. I, too, would like to learn more about the establishment of the church here in Fayetteville.

The A.M.E. Church

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