BELL, Fla. – It was a tough Sunday morning at church for locals living In the small town of Bell who are just now coming to grips with the murders of six children and their mother, at the hands of the kids grandfather.
The lead pastor at Priscilla Baptist Church in Bell says the mass murders serve as a reminder that evil is everywhere, and terrible things can happen here, even in the small town of Bell.
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"Evil brings death, it did to those eight souls Thursday but God brings life. John 10: 10 says he brings life abundantly," said Ron Black, the pastor.
At Black's church, he's hoping his words will provide some comfort, and guidance to those still grieving following the murders of six children and their mother. Deputies say they were all shot to death by 51-year-old Don Spirit,
who then turned the gun on himself. Black expects the mass murders to make his tight knit community even closer.
"All this that happened is a wake-up call to our church, our community not to trust ourselves and think we're in our snug community and nothing can touch us because it can, and to let god be our defense and our health," said Black.
Locals say now more than ever, they need one another to help them get through the heartbreak of loosing so many young lives at once. Pastors closely connected to the murders are finding it even more difficult to bring their congregation some understanding.
"The children were precious and it breaks my heart that six kids are gone, and they'll never have a chance," said Jo Smith church member. " We might have had a president out of this group, a senator, another sheriff' it really has touched a lot of us."
Smith says she's hoping those who are grieving will find comfort in a higher power. Realizing that the town of Bell will never be the same again.
"Every year at this time we'll all remember it, and when certain things happen in school, we think , the children would have been there for that, it will be sad in school, and very sad for the grandparent,s its going to be a sad Christmas,' said Smith
Black says members of his congregation have canceled regular church programs Sunday evening so they can support friends and family of the victims in this evening's memorial service and candlelight vigil.