VA - Youth Pastor kills family on Thanksgiving, Chester, 24 Nov 2017

[ScHoLaR oF STuFF]

Gattis cleaned house... literally

A person cannot even burb in that kind of neighborhood without having residents peeking out of their windows.

The Gattis household with the alarm going off , multiple gunshots ringing inside, Candy's dog barking and (possibly) outdoors with Alex Buthorn dead of stomache wounds on the lawn and nobody in the neighboring home see's/hears nothing???
Not buying it cause it is odd at best, as folks are hyper sensitive in this day and age to SOUNDS outside one's abode.

Folks need to step up and speak up!

 

[Inthedetails]

Gattis cleaned house... literally

A person cannot even burb in that kind of neighborhood without having residents peeking out of their windows.

The Gattis household with the alarm going off , multiple gunshots ringing inside, Candy's dog barking and (possibly) outdoors with Alex Buthorn dead of stomache wounds on the lawn and nobody in the neighboring home see's/hears nothing???
Not buying it cause it is odd at best, as folks are hyper sensitive in this day and age to SOUNDS outside one's abode.

Folks need to step up and speak up!

What could the neighbors have done? Comments from neighbors say it was a tight-knit group and they all knew each other. Nobody noticed signs that violence would occur.

I think the violence in the house happened fast. Someone (likely the mom or daughter) pulled some sort of alarm. While chaos was happening, the boyfriend ran out of the house, but he was injured and didn't make it. I think the last gunshot happened either at the doorway or in the yard - and that is the gunshot neighbors noticed. By that time, LE were already on the way because of the alarm.

Not sure what the neighbors could have done to prevent this.

jmopinion

 

[Elainera]

Gattis cleaned house... literally

A person cannot even burb in that kind of neighborhood without having residents peeking out of their windows.

The Gattis household with the alarm going off , multiple gunshots ringing inside, Candy's dog barking and (possibly) outdoors with Alex Buthorn dead of stomache wounds on the lawn and nobody in the neighboring home see's/hears nothing???
Not buying it cause it is odd at best, as folks are hyper sensitive in this day and age to SOUNDS outside one's abode.

Folks need to step up and speak up!

bbm There were neighbors interviewed (quoted/linked upthread) who said they heard the shots.

 

[rsd1200]

My hunch at this point is the root cause is going to be financial. Financial stress mixed with alcohol. No facts to back that up, just a hunch.

jmopinion at the moment, subject to change

I'm leaning that way too.

 

[al66pine]

Someone posted 2 yrs, but IIRC below, NEIGHBOR Larry (not Chris) interviewed moved in 2 yrs ago.
(I subbed xxx for Larry's last name.)
______________________________________________________________

“They were good people,” especially Chris, Larry Pxxxxx said. “He’d do anything for you. He was always quick to laugh. He had a hearty laugh.”
The Pxxxxxs moved to the neighborhood less than two years ago. Neighbors mostly kept to themselves, but the Gattis home across the street was the exception.
“They welcomed us to the neighborhood,” Larry Pxxxxx said. The families often shared meals. “It’s just sad that their Thanksgiving ended that way.”
Larry Pxxxxx said he hadn’t heard or seen any disagreements among the family that night, or even before."

^from link to richmond.com ~12 posts up.

 

[ScHoLaR oF STuFF]

Someone posted 2 yrs, but IIRC below, NEIGHBOR Larry (not Chris) interviewed moved in 2 yrs ago.
(I subbed xxx for Larry's last name.)
______________________________________________________________

“"

^from link to richmond.com ~12 posts up.

opps...:thinking:that was my bad...
I should of rolled into bed and not onto google late last night.
its important info... thank you for the clarification

 

[Cryptic]

Gallis had bit of money...

Not only was he a 'preacher' of God, he somewhat made like Jesus the son of God and was into furniture, selling it that is.

That is an assumption.

Gallis was evidently a part time minister- and even if he was full time, it would still be a presumption to assume he was "selling Jesus". Ministerial positions at churches can pay very little. As a result, many ministers have income from other professions.

I know a medical doctor and a successful business owner who also hold ministerial positions at mid size churches. Though neither man has a "bling lifestyle", both have enough outside income and enough material possessions to make some people envious. Neither man "sells Jesus" at his respective church and neither one has apologized for their hard work and their resulting financial success.

In short, Gallis may, or may not have been "selling Jesus". As he is not a lead pastor, I suspect that he had outside income. In either case, he is still a murderer.

 

[Inthedetails]

That is a huge assumption. Gallis was evidently a part time minister- and even if he was full time, it would still be a presumption to assume he was "selling Jesus".

Ministerial positions at churches can pay very little. As a result, many ministers have income from other professions. I have known a medical doctor and a successful business owner who also held ministerial positions at mid size churches. Though neither man is into a bling life style, both have incomes and material possessions that will make some envious. Neither man "sells Jesus" and neither one apologizes for their financial success either.

I am familiar with pastors in this particular denomination (Lutheran) and Synod (Missouri Synod) as well as other Lutheran synods. They are not wealthy people, they do not go into the profession to "sell Jesus." They do, of course, receive a salary paid for by the congregation, and there are guidelines set in the Lutheran church what that pastor salary should be - pastors don't "sell Jesus" to get more money.

I do not think this particular perp was a Pastor. He was, rather, an administrator who managed and coordinated the youth group activities in the congregation. I posted more about this above. Unless someone knows that he went to seminary, was ordained, and called to be a pastor for the congregation, I'm assuming he was a lay member of the congregation who filled the job to serve the youth.

I grew up Missouri Synod Lutheran, by the way, though I'm no longer a member. I've been involved with calling pastors and employees to serve a church (in a different Lutheran Synod) . "Calling a pastor" basically means hiring a pastor.

jmopinion

 

[Elley Mae]

Gattis was a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, where he was a ministries coordinator for middle school and high school students.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/2...d-in-thanksgiving-slaying-family-members.html

The suspect was active at Grace Lutheran church where he served as a middle school and high school youth ministries coordinator.

http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/police-youth-pastor-kills-3-in-thanksgiving-day-shooting

Gattis is a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Chester.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youth-...accused-fatally-shooting-family-thanksgiving/

Snip

The deacon at Grace Lutheran Church confirmed that Gattis was a full time youth pastor.

http://abc7chicago.com/pastor-charged-with-killing-family-on-thanksgiving-/2698922/

🤷*♀️

 

[Inthedetails]

Gattis was a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, where he was a ministries coordinator for middle school and high school students.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/2...d-in-thanksgiving-slaying-family-members.html

The suspect was active at Grace Lutheran church where he served as a middle school and high school youth ministries coordinator.

http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/police-youth-pastor-kills-3-in-thanksgiving-day-shooting

Gattis is a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Chester.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youth-...accused-fatally-shooting-family-thanksgiving/

Snip

The deacon at Grace Lutheran Church confirmed that Gattis was a full time youth pastor.

http://abc7chicago.com/pastor-charged-with-killing-family-on-thanksgiving-/2698922/

��*♀️

Thanks. There was another quote (as I posted above) that he was a coordinator of youth at the church, and that makes more sense to me, but I stand corrected.

If he is a Lutheran pastor, there should be info on where he went to seminary, when and where he was ordained, etc. Perhaps someone can find that, if interested.

jmo

 

[Cryptic]

I do not think this particular perp was a Pastor. He was, rather, an administrator who managed and coordinated the youth group activities in the congregation. I posted more about this above. Unless someone knows that he went to seminary, was ordained, and called to be a pastor for the congregation, I'm assuming he was a lay member of the congregation who filled the job to serve the youth.

I think you are right.

Gallis probably either received no salary for his role as youth pastor / coordinator or received a token stipend. His main income was his other employment outside of the church. That income can, of course, vary from very little to substantial depending on his profession.

Would an exception be a youth pastor / coordinator at a large "flag ship" Lutheran church being a full time position with a full time salary? Even in this case, he could still have other income from either a working spouse or by "moon lighting".

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I don't think he was ordained and no matter whether he was or was not does not change what he has done IMO.

So tragic for those who knew and loved these folks. To have your faith shattered this way... heartbreaking. I don't have this kind of faith but won't belittle anyone who does. I know the comfort it can bring for some people and it must be awful to have that pulled out from under you.

 

[mom2tee]

New information on hearing today. And he was suspended without pay. http://www.richmond.com/news/local/chesterfield/church-suspends-youth-ministry-director-charged-in-thanksgiving-triple-slaying/article_60544796-3ac1-536c-85f9-a0ab364754b8.html

 

[Inthedetails]

I don't think he was ordained and no matter whether he was or was not does not change what he has done IMO.

So tragic for those who knew and loved these folks. To have your faith shattered this way... heartbreaking. I don't have this kind of faith but won't belittle anyone who does. I know the comfort it can bring for some people and it must be awful to have that pulled out from under you.

I agree that it doesn't matter in terms of the case, but people are posting "pastor" as a putdown, and I admit that gets under my skin. I should sit this one out, probably.

:hiding:

 

[rsd1200]

New information on hearing today. And he was suspended without pay. http://www.richmond.com/news/local/...cle_60544796-3ac1-536c-85f9-a0ab364754b8.html

That's so weird. It seems folks are just going plumb off these days. I think that we are beginning to de-volve. Fifty-eight years old, and two brushes with LE. Neither charge so earth shattering, that one would look at them and think, oh, this dude's gonna blow one day. Nice home, nice neighborhood, neighborly, good job, worked in his church, and blows his lid on Thanksgiving Day. Money, sex, or drugs, are usually at the root, of the reasons folks flip out, and murder each other. Been looking at some studies. Here's just a couple brief articles based on a couple of studies that have been done. There has not been a lot of research done on family annihilators until the last few years.

Experts find "distinct psychological" traits in men who murder their spouse and children:
The study found men who commit spontaneous domestic homicides, as they are known, have more severe mental illness and particularly psychotic disorders than other people.They also tend to have fewer previous convictions, are less intelligent and have more cognitive impairment.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ical-traits-men-murder-partners-children.html

Family Annihilators Usually Fit One of Four Distinct Profiles: (Self Righteous, Disappointed, Anomic, Paranoid)
"I usually deal with murder and serial murder, but this was a very dark place to go," Wilson tells Wired.co.uk. "So-called ordinary men who were loving husbands and fathers could do quite extraordinarily appalling things to their partners, ex-partners and their children. Family annihilators were overwhelmingly not known to criminal justice or mental health services. For all intents and purposes these were loving husbands and good fathers, often holding down high profile jobs and seen publicly as being very, very successful. They were simply not on the radar."

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/family-killers

 

[rsd1200]

I agree that it doesn't matter in terms of the case, but people are posting "pastor" as a putdown, and I admit that gets under my skin. I should sit this one out, probably.

:hiding:

No, it doesn't matter what his job was. He could have been the greatest youth pastor guy on earth, saved kittens from a burning building, gave blood, helped the elderly, kids loved him, until this happened, as of Thanksgiving Day, 2017, those past 58 years of being a good guy, were tossed out the window.

We had a multiple murder that made big news, in my state, a few years back. A pastor, murdered these folks, who he knew, in broad daylight, at their store. They saw that he was coming and had known he was irate, iirc, and sent their child to the back (and he/she survived). Everyone who knew the man was stunned. All of the good work he'd done over the years, flew out the window on that day. Money, was at the root of it all. He's in prison for life, and they're dead. Another pastor, in our state, and we happened to know this one, (only in passing), was caught in a sex sting... It made the news! Always such a nice person, and from what I understand, his flock loved him. They were just deeply saddened and shocked. All of the good things that he did, and he did do good for folks, went out the window that night. He stepped down and I'm not sure what became of him.

If this happened and change the title from Youth Pastor, to police officer, doctor, school teacher, or firefighter, we'd still all be wondering, what on earth happened?! This guy was in a position of trust, in the community, he was supposed to be one of the good guys, and he did this?!

I know, when my kids were in youth group, if their pastor had done this, I'd have been just floored, and I'd have felt betrayed, and sad, and angry, and all kinds of emotions, along with mourning the loss of the family. This is a person folks trusted to be around their children. A person in these types of positions, we kinda expect to hold themselves to a higher standard. Change this guy's job to "police officer" or "school teacher"; Would the comments be the same? Idk. I think they'd be fairly harsh, without condemning all school teachers, firemen,doctors, LEOs, etc..

 

[Cherry]

It matters not what he did for a living. I suspect he wore a facade that broke down completely.

 

[Knox]

That is an assumption.

Gallis was evidently a part time minister- and even if he was full time, it would still be a presumption to assume he was "selling Jesus". Ministerial positions at churches can pay very little. As a result, many ministers have income from other professions.

I know a medical doctor and a successful business owner who also hold ministerial positions at mid size churches. Though neither man has a "bling lifestyle", both have enough outside income and enough material possessions to make some people envious. Neither man "sells Jesus" at his respective church and neither one has apologized for their hard work and their resulting financial success.

In short, Gallis may, or may not have been "selling Jesus". As he is not a lead pastor, I suspect that he had outside income. In either case, he is still a murderer.

I'm not sure, but I think the poster was referring to Jesus working with wood (as a carpenter). Further, ScHoLaR oF STuFF said Gattis sold furniture, not sure why you say "selling Jesus"?

 

[LietKynes]

I'm feeling badly for the youth he must have preached to , or mentored ... how horrible for their parents/guardians now.
To think back to what he may have said to them -- knowing what he is now.

Were any of the young people ever afraid of him , or did they only see his 'good side' ?
:moo:

 

[neesaki]

All I can say is this is practically impossible for me to comprehend. So very sad, how could he do this, and why? And afterwards, he seems to be like, ok with it? Is that what you all are getting as well? He's just ok with it?