Woman who shot gunman says she was given assignment from God

COLORADO SPRINGS – The woman who shot a gunman inside New Life Church says her hands were not even shaking when it happened.

Jeanne Assam was working security at New Life on Sunday when 24-year-old Matthew Murray began shooting in the parking lot. Three people, including Murray, died during the attack at the 10,000-plus member New Life Church.

Police said Monday afternoon that Murray was also responsible for a shooting that left two others dead at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada. Five others were injured in the attacks.

Assam, a former police officer from Minneapolis, says she was inside the church when she heard gunfire from the parking lot.

"The shots were so loud I thought he was inside and he wasn't even inside yet," Assam said on Monday afternoon. "There was chaos. There were a lot of people in the church."

"I saw him coming through the doors and I took cover. And I waited for him to get closer and came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down," she said.

Assam repeatedly gave credit to God during her news conference on Monday, saying God was with her.

"I was given the assignment to end this before it got too much worse," she said. "I said, 'Holy Spirit, please be with me.' I did not run away and I didn't think to run away. My hands weren't even shaking."

Assam is a former police officer and is a member of New Life Church.

"God was with me and I asked him to be with me and he never left my side," she said. "I was very focused and it was chaotic. It was so loud. I'll never forget the gunshots. It was just so loud."

Assam sent her condolences out to all the families who were affected by the shooting, including Murray's.

She appeared along side New Life Church Pastor Brady Boyd at the news conference on Monday.

"If we had not had an armed person on our campus, 50 to 100 people could have lost their lives yesterday," said Boyd.

"I just knew what I had to do," said Assam. "It was me, the gunman and God."