The Rev. Kristin Warthen, lead pastor of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, stood at the pulpit and told those at Friday’s prayer vigil that she found it fitting for it to be a rainy day.
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church opened its doors for Arlington residents April 26 to gather in prayer following a shooting outside Bowie High School Wednesday, resulting in the death of one student.
Warthen told the audience how rain and water can also represent tears. Residents could let them flow as they process the tragedy, she said.
“We’re a space where we believe in hope. We do not believe violence gets the last word,” Warthen said.
Arlington police officers arrived at Bowie High School on Wednesday afternoon in response to reports of shots fired near a portable building on campus. The victim, 18-year-old Etavion Barnes, was shot and later pronounced deceased from his injuries, according to a statement by police. Officers identified 17-year-old Julian Howard as the alleged shooter. He was booked into Arlington City Jail on one count of murder.
Bowie High School canceled classes for the rest of the week, though students returned to campus Friday to retrieve items left in the building. Classes are expected to resume Monday.
‘We need to be united’: Students, alumni look to church for emotional support
The church’s connection to Bowie High School and Arlington ISD runs deep. Located just one mile south of the high school, St. Andrew’s established its presence in the community with one of its first services at Atherton Elementary School in 1986. The church provided lunches to Bowie students years ago, Warthen said.
With such a long history between the church and the school, Warthen said she wants St. Andrew’s to be a space where the community can gather for emotional and spiritual support.
The service offered a mix of music, prayers and periods of silence. Attendees stood and slowly swayed to the gentle chords of the church’s piano and sat with their heads bowed, praying during the service’s period of silent reflection.
Ryan Armstrong is the church’s student ministries director and provided the prayer to the students. Just five years ago, he was one of them.
“We need to lean on each other,” Armstrong, who graduated from Bowie in 2019, said. “We need to put that trust in each other and just continue to grow the community together as a team, because you can’t do it by yourself. We need to be united.”
In the audience were Bowie sophomores Elizabeth Hyden and Nalani Patterson. They arrived wearing blue and orange — their school colors.
Patterson said she found comfort in others gathered approaching her and giving their condolences and support.
Hyden said she hopes that people see the tragedy as more than “just another school shooting.” Students like herself should voice their safety concerns, she said.
“We need to take more precautions when it comes to gun safety, especially in schools and I hope we can learn from it,” Hyden said. “I feel like our voices need to be heard in terms of just overall feeling safe.”
Mental health resources, messages of support headed to Bowie
Arlington Police Department and Arlington ISD security personnel are expected to provide extra security on campus when students and staff return Monday, a spokesperson for the district said.
School counselors will also be available for all students and staff for as long as needed.
Molly Muniz is a social worker and executive director of Mansfield Connections Wellness Group, a Texas-based health service provider. The time it takes to process tragic events like a shooting can sometimes take years, Muniz said.
“We have to understand that these kiddos, their sense of security and the staff, their sense of security has just been shattered,” Muniz said. “We need to remind them that they are safe.”
Electra Kitchin is a member of St. Andrew’s and a mother of three Bowie High School alumni. She is also a licensed professional counselor and has her own private practice, Empowering Minds Counseling Services.
During the service, Kitchin read a letter from her youngest son, Brandon Kitchin, who graduated from the school in 2015. Their message was clear: Bowie is not defined by this tragedy.
“I don’t want them to be afraid to go to school,” Electra Kitchin said. “It was a tragedy, yes. But school is still a safe place.”
The service ended with candlelight, as a way to remember the light of Barnes’ life and as a “reminder of the light and love of Christ,” Warthen said at the end of the service.
People funneled into the main room of the church after the service to write messages for students and school staff on banners. The church plans to deliver the banners to the school next week.
Fort Worth Report journalist Dang Le contributed to this report.
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or @marissaygreene.
