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Christian Leaders Respond to Disturbing Video of Ahmaud Arbery Shooting

Twitter via AP
Twitter via AP
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By Tré Goins-Phillips
Editor

May 7, 2020

The release of video footage portraying the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Georgia native Ahmaud Arbery in February has sparked intense scrutiny and has drawn calls for prayer and investigation from numerous Christian leaders.

What happened?

Arbery, who was black, was pursued on Feb. 23 by two white men in a truck, Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis. The elder McMichael said there had been a series of break-ins in his neighborhood around the time he saw Arbery, whose family said he routinely jogged in the area.

Gregory McMichael, a former Glynn County police officer and retired investigator with the local district attorney’s office, said he was standing in his front yard when he saw Arbery running down the street. He ran inside his home to tell his son he’d spotted Arbery. The two men grabbed their firearms, piled into a truck and chased the 25-year-old man “in an attempt to intercept him,” according to a police report obtained by The New York Times.

The duo tried to “cut off” Arbery, but he ran the other direction. They tried apprehending him once more from a different direction, at which point they shot Arbery dead. Gregory McMichael told police Arbery “began to violently attack Travis,” who then began fighting with the man before his son fired his gun twice.

S. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Arbery’s mother, released the footage of the deadly encounter this week, claiming the video shows Arbery was targeted “solely because of his race” and “murdered … without justification.”

The below video is graphic and may disturb some viewers:

“The series of events captured in this video confirm what all the evidence indicated prior to its release— Ahmaud Arbery was pursued by three white men that targeted him solely because of his race and murdered him without justification. This is murder.” pic.twitter.com/v4TAs0RjO7

— S. Lee Merritt, Esq. (@MeritLaw) May 5, 2020

So far, no arrests have been made.

District Attorney George Barnhill has argued the McMichaels acted lawfully in their pursuit of Arbery and that Travis McMichael was acting in self-defense, noting prior records showed Arbery had an “aggressive nature.”

How are Christian leaders responding?

Numerous Christian leaders from Georgia and around the U.S. are responding to the reports about Arbery’s death.

Jentezen Franklin, a megachurch pastor based in Gainesville, Georgia, has called on authorities to “expeditiously complete their investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Ahmaud Arbery and take all appropriate measures in response to what appears to be a horribly heinous crime.”

“I pray for justice, and I pray for the family of Ahmaud Arbery as they still bare the pain of their loss,” Franklin added.

pic.twitter.com/aNXLpLQ0Ut

— Jentezen Franklin (@Jentezen) May 7, 2020

Christian actor, author, and speaker Priscilla Shirer described the developments surrounding Arbery’s death as “wrong and devastating.”

His name is #AhmadArbery.

Say his name – out loud.

To our children.
To our grandchildren.
To our neighbors.
In our churches.
To your social media followers.

And out of respect for his mourning mother. 😢

We can’t ignore this. It’s wrong & devastating.

— Priscilla Shirer (@PriscillaShirer) May 6, 2020

Australian preacher Christine Caine echoed those words, calling the news out of Georgia “so wrong” and “sickening.”

This is so wrong. It’s sickening. #AhmaudArbery https://t.co/E12KOUa8Sk

— Christine Caine (@ChristineCaine) May 6, 2020

Christian speaker and movie producer DeVon Franklin called for justice for Arbery.

Justice for #ahmaudarbery pic.twitter.com/4Dw7giIgZ7

— DeVon Franklin (@DeVonFranklin) May 6, 2020

Christian author Jennie Allen, founder of the IF: Gathering, wrote in an Instagram post Thursday, “This is my son Cooper and this is Ahmaud Arbery. I watched the video of the murder of Ahmaud yesterday. The shooters were never arrested. As a mother and a follower of Jesus Christ, I cannot casually notice injustice, evil, racism, or white supremacy and not do something. God help us.”

View this post on Instagram

This is my son Cooper and this is Ahmaud Arbery. I watched the video of the murder of Ahmaud yesterday. The shooters were never arrested. As a mother and a follower of Jesus Christ, I cannot casually notice injustice, evil, racism or white supremacy and not do something.⁣ ⁣ God help us. ⁣ ⁣ But the main way God helps us- is through his people. We will not act like it doesn’t exist. We must use our voices and lives against the evil of our day. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Learn Ahmaud’s name. Learn his story. Use your voice.⁣ ⁣ Not on our watch. #ahmaudarbery

A post shared by Jennie Allen (@jenniesallen) on May 7, 2020 at 7:04am PDT

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) posted a tweet Tuesday, writing, “Georgians deserve answers. State law enforcement stands ready to ensure justice is served.”

And Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) said she is “deeply concerned” about Arbery’s death, adding she’s “calling for swift action and immediate answers in the wake of this tragedy.”

Statement from Director Vic Reynolds on the GBI’s investigation of Ahmaud Arbery’s death: pic.twitter.com/PCDlUV0vjU

— GA Bureau of Invest (@GBI_GA) May 6, 2020

“With the Georgia Bureau of Investigation now committed to assisting local law enforcement,” she wrote in a statement, “I anticipate a thorough and rigorous investigation will be conducted, and that it will deliver much-needed clarity and justice in this case.”

“My prayers are with the Arbery family for their devastating loss,” the senator added.

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