SEATTLE — The pastor of a church in Seattle said his organization was not targeted in a shooting that left a man dead in Rainier Valley Wednesday.
Harvey Drake, lead pastor at Emerald City Bible Fellowship, said the incident happened during a meeting inside the church building that was held by a separate organization.
"When I got the news that there was a shooting here, my heart just sank because we are a group that believes in supporting the community," Drake said.
The Seattle-based nonprofit Community Passageways was holding a meeting at the venue at the time, according to Drake. The group declined to comment on the shooting victim, but released a statement.
"All of us at Community Passageways are deeply saddened by the horrific incident that took place yesterday during our program which has been hosted at Emerald City Bible Fellowship since 2016. Our team, participants, and community are actively working together to begin a journey of collective healing as we mourn for the family and loved ones that were impacted by this tragic event. As an organization we are constantly reviewing our procedures and evaluating our protocols while engaging national experts to assure best practices continue to be in place," the statement said.
Seattle Police are still looking for the gunman they believe they have identified, according to a news release.
Police said a suspect walked into Emerald City Bible Fellowship on Rainier Avenue South Wednesday, opened fire, and killed another man before fleeing.
While the incident was troubling, Drake emphasized the violence was not geared toward the church.
"In fact, we have never had an incident here, ever," Drake said.
Drake said the church's multi-ethnic congregation was established in the mid-1990s and focuses on supporting the community. Some of the projects his church has been involved in include the construction of an apartment complex next door, a fitness and CrossFit center, as well as offers summer school programs.
Among Drake's upcoming projects includes a "Shark Tank-like" program that boosts entrepreneurs of all ages in the neighborhood, which is scheduled to begin April 29. He said he's also planning for in-person services on Easter Sunday.
Drake also expressed his appreciation for Seattle Police interim Chief Adrian Diaz, who responded to the scene alongside investigators Wednesday. Among the church's many goals is to work with police, Drake said.
"We've played softball together. We've had coffee with cops because we're trying to build a bridge between our community and police departments so we can see each other's family and friends and not further the animosity and fear," Drake said.
Drake said his goal is to keep on serving the community as they have been doing for a long time.
"My wife, bless her heart, she said we are not going to let this deter us from doing our work; from believing in this community. We're helping to lift this community. We will not stop," Drake said.