I must admit I don't know what the Unitarian Universalist church beliefs are. But I heard on the news that there was a Presbyterian church right next to the one where the shootings took place. The reporter said it was unclear why the shooter specifically went into the UU church. The gun was brought into the church in a guitar case.

Gun violence bothers me for a lot of reasons. I'm a rehab nurse and I've cared for people with head injuries caused by bullets (shot by themselves or others). Trauma care is much better, so more people are surviving and having to deal with the life consequences of brain injury. More than 20 Chicago high school students were killed by shootings during the 2007-08 school year. You should not have to be afraid of being shot at when you go to church. I don't know what the answer is - more police and the Illinois National Guard on the streets? We might be heading toward a police state situation if that were done. More opportunities for youth programs, education and vocational training to get kids off of the streets and out of gangs? I think that would be great. However, our governor has reduced state funding for such programs and Mayor Daley has deferred releasing his proposed budget for the city of Chicago, so I think public monies for these types of services are going to be less available in the future. More drug enforcement? I don't think it is a problem with an easy or quick answer.