Wedgwood Baptist Church held a poignant service Sunday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a devastating shooting that left seven dead and seven others wounded.
The service, led by current and past church leaders, focused on themes of reflection, healing, and faith after the tragedy, according to the Fort Worth Report.
The shooting took place on the evening of September 15, 1999, when Larry Gene Ashbrook opened fire during a celebratory event at the church, turning what was meant to be a joyous occasion into a scene of unimaginable grief.
Ashbrook entered the church and proceeded to fire over 100 rounds of ammunition from two different guns, he then detonated a homemade pipe bomb in the worship center where a youth activity program was taking place. The shooter then sat in the back of the church and took his own life before police arrived on the scene.
“In the years since this tragedy took place, there have been tears, sadness, questions, lots of prayer, and of course, healing. In the days and weeks after the event the victims, their families, and the church saw an outpouring of love and support, not just from our community, but from across the world,” the church wrote in a statement.
Among the victims was 14-year-old Cassandra Fawn Griffin, who was remembered lovingly by her father, David Griffin. He spoke about his daughter’s passion for collecting frogs, which were connected to the acronym F.R.O.G, “fully rely on God,” a reference to John 15:19, according to FWR.
Al Meredith, the church’s pastor at the time of the shooting and now pastor emeritus, recounted the sleepless nights following the attack and his efforts to support the community. He encouraged attendees to find strength in their faith and look to the future with hope.
Lead Pastor Dale Braswell also addressed the congregation, acknowledging that there are different views within the church about the tragedy. For some, it is a historical lesson, while for others, it remains a painful memory or both. Braswell also read a letter of support from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and former Mayor Kenneth Barr and emphasized the church’s future goals, reported FWR.
“We received cards, flowers, quilts, Bibles, posters, and emails, among other items, from people who wanted us to know they were praying for us and they supported us. We can never express completely how much this love and support meant and still means to us. It brought great comfort to us all,” the church said in its statement.
The service concluded with a moving performance of Goodness of God by the church’s choir and congregation, underscoring the theme of hope through dark times of adversity.
“What I’ve learned is that grief is really a lifelong journey, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t experience joy and peace,” Griffin told the church, per FWR.