Scientology --- Scientologist Shoots Pregnant Women and Two Men at Church of Scientology

Scientologist Shoots Pregnant Women and Two Men at Church of Scientology

On Sat, 22 Dec 2001 04:47:00 GMT, hkhenson@cogeco.ca (Keith Henson) wrote:

>On Sat, 22 Dec 2001 00:08:43 GMT, "Sanders" <3sanders@attbi.com>
>wrote:
>>I live in Portland and was on lines when the shooting happened and after the
>>baby was born - although I was on my way out. I don't know why reports of
>>the baby imply that she was fine. She definitely was not. The back of her
>>head where her brain was supposed to be was gone.
>>Maggie
>
>That's really awful! How long did she live? The newspaper follow up
>story was (I think) months after she was born.
>
>Did it have anything to do with her mother being shot?
Here's the original post. Godeka's rampage was in September 1996, and this article is slightly over a year later. It said she was four months pregnant at the time, so the child would have been seven months old at the time of this article, or perhaps older if born prematurely.

From: rkeller@voicenet.com (Rod Keller)
Subject: Re: Helen Burke A Year Later
Date: 1997/10/16
Message-ID: <623qcc$r2c$1@news2.voicenet.com>#1/1
Followup-To:

alt.binaries.scientology,alt.religion.scientology,alt.religion.scientology.squick.squick.squick,de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology,nl.actueel.scientology,nl.scientology Organization: VoiceNet - Internet Access - (215)674-9290
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: Featured in this month's Bee is an interesting article about Helen Burke : the Portland, Oregon woman paralyzed by a gunman who shot her after : bursting into the Church in downtown Portland, Oregon about a year ago.

: Read this facinating article at : http://www.thebee-portland.com/1197people.htm Helen Burke A Year Later Shooting and Wheelchair Can't Stop Her Ministry and Motherhood By Rita A. Leonard For The Bee Sellwood resident Helen Burke's work as a minister with the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center is taking a personal bent these days.

Burke is paralyzed below the waist as a result of a shooting incident Sept. 25, 1996. Gunman, Jairus C. Godeka, who had burst into the church's downtown Portland office intent on mayhem, wounded her. Before Godeka was finally subdued, he set fire to the building, held one person hostage and shot three other people. Arrested at the scene, Godeka is now in prison awaiting trial.

Four months pregnant at the time, Burke was the first and most seriously injured by Godeka's rampage. Steve Crandell, the church's executive director, took one of Godeka's gunshots in the stomach. "He saved my life, though," recalls Burke. "He pulled me to safety through a fire door."

Burke's baby, Bridget, was born safely on Feb. 14. "She's beautiful," says Burke with a smile. "She's my Valentine present." Bridget is her third child, joining siblings Siobhan, 12, and Tim, 10.

Originally from Australia, Burke has worked for the Church of Scientology for 14 years. In her third year as a minister, she now provides audiences a personal testimonial to the workings of her church.

Burke credits her church, and family, for helping her through the emotional healing process. She has physical therapy three times a week in order to build her upper body strength, which is necessary to manage her wheelchair.

"To have someone point a gun at you and know they're going to use it is a very traumatic experience," she says. "On a mental and emotional level, I'm no worse now than I was a year ago, because of the Dianetics counseling procedure. It gives you the ability to let go of all your negative emotions and focus on a positive future."

Burke returned to her job earlier this year. She holds free workshops to explain L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics methods used successfully to counsel herself and her family. She plans to hold six workshops a year. Her next one will be Oct. 19 at Portland State University. Call 221-4504 to make reservations.

"I plan to focus on the workshops as a personal testimonial and to help others achieve the same sense of peace that I have," Burke says.

"The incident has strengthened our resolve to continue helping others through the Church of Scientology practices," says Burke. In September she held a Sunday service in the Park Blocks as a part of National Religious Freedom Week.

"Helping other people is the most important thing to me. I've seen (Dianetics) help so many people, I want to be back there, doing it again."

Burke plans to hold the free workshops about six times a year, directing others to the methods of self-enhancement that have made such a big difference in her life.

Burke holds no grudge against her assailant. "I feel very sorry for him and his mental state that he would have felt so dreadful. But I've never hated him, even from the date of the incident."

She has no nightmares about the shooting. Rather, in all her dreams, she is still able to walk.

"Only my body is changed. I have not," Burke says.

-- Rod Keller / rkeller@voicenet.com Black Hat #1 / Expert of the Toilet / Golden Gate Bridge Club United Free Zone Alliance / Elron's Inspector / Merchant of Chaos Kha Khan countdown: 9 to go / OSA Patsy / Quasi-Scieno / Mental Bully

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