The Maryland shooting and “Searching for God at Ground Zero”

“There’s nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.” This is how Phil Davis, a reporter at the Capital Gazette in Maryland, responded to yesterday’s shooting in his newspaper building as it happened.

The acting police chief told a news conference last night, “This was a targeted attack on the Capital Gazette.” CNN reports this morning that a gunman, armed with a shotgun, opened fire through the front doors of the newsroom around 3 p.m.

Four employees died at the scene; a fifth person died at a hospital. Three others were wounded.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Jarrod Warren Ramos. According to court documents, he filed a defamation suit against the newspaper in 2012 for an article describing his guilty plea in a harassment case. His case against the paper was dismissed.

As I watched the shooting in Maryland unfold yesterday, I began asking the Lord what I could say that I have not already said about similar horrific events in the past. My attention was drawn to a book in my library I purchased shortly after 9/11 but had not read.

James Martin is a Jesuit priest and writer. He was editor of a Catholic magazine in New York City when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. Searching for God at Ground Zero describes firsthand his experiences volunteering at the site in the days following the worst terrorist attack in American history.

His book led me to focus this morning not on the shooter in Maryland but on those who responded to his violence. In their presence and courage, I found encouragement from God.

“Working together for a common good”

Father Martin’s first encounter with the ruins of the World Trade Center was one of horror. He thought, “This is like hell. Full of immense sadness and terror and pathos.” His next thought: “And yet, here is grace. Everyone assembled at this place is dedicated to the work of rescue; everyone is…