Michigan Church Shooting and Fire: San Francisco Church of Latter-day Saints members shaken by deadly attack
As the investigation continues into the Michigan church mass shooting and fire that killed at least four and injured eight as hundreds of people were worshiping Sunday morning, members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints in San Francisco are in mourning.
Some of local community members didn't find out about what happened until they were at services Sunday or after they got out of church.
ABC7 News spoke with worshipers and leaders of the church on Pacific Avenue about what they'll do going forward.
"It's really sad to me that something like this would happen in such a peaceful, peaceful place," church member Cambree Bernkoph said.
MORE: Investigators probe for motive in deadly Michigan church shooting, fire
Some members were leaving the morning service, while others were arriving for the afternoon.
"It's devastating. My wife actually told me about it during the service. She had heard of it," Jacob Wright said. "I think it's just a reminder of how much evil there is in this world. And that really we as, as followers of Christ, need to do what we can to kind of combat it."
"I just saw the notification this morning, I was very sad," Dylan Allen said. "I mean, it's one of those things that, especially in a place of worship, to see somebody come in and cause violence and try to cause fear is really sad. And I mean, to light fire to the church as well as really devastating."
These scenes were hitting some especially hard.
"I feel like there's a lot of bad things going on right now in the world. My family's from Ohio, and I actually have family in Michigan, so it definitely hit close to home," Benkoph said.
The church's leadership described members as both somber and shaken by what happened.
"Of course, it touches anybody's heart," church leader Jake Soujah said. "It's a human tragedy on every ever of society on where society is going. Of course, it has an even a deeper meaning for members of our own faith to be attacked."
Wright said he is now a bit concerned about their safety.
At this time, the church's leadership says they don't feel a need to up security measures, but an incident like what happened Sunday is something they sometimes think about.
"It crosses my mind a lot when I'm on the stand looking out, 'Who's going to walk through the door?' It's been like this for many years," Soujah said.
