It was a quiet Saturday morning on March 12, 2005, inside a Sheraton hotel in Brookfield, Wisconsin, where weekly services for the Living Church of God were underway. Pastor Randy Gregory, a 51-year-old male, was in attendance with his family and congregation, listening to the day's sermon. The atmosphere of worship was shattered when a member of their own community, 44-year-old Terry Ratzmann, entered the room and opened fire on the unsuspecting congregation.
Within the span of a
minute, Ratzmann discharged 22 rounds from a 9mm handgun, creating a scene of chaos and tragedy. Pastor Gregory was among the first to be targeted and was fatally wounded. His 16-year-old son, James Gregory, was also killed in the attack, along with five other church members. Randy Gregory's wife, Marjean, was critically injured but survived. The peaceful service had turned into a scene of unimaginable violence, leaving the community reeling in shock and grief.
Investigations following the horrific event revealed that Ratzmann, a computer technician who was reportedly on the verge of losing his job, had been struggling with depression. Fellow church members recalled that he had walked out of a service two weeks prior, angered by a sermon that suggested people's problems were of their own making. On the day of the shooting, Ratzmann's actions were tragically decisive. After reloading his weapon once during the assault, he turned the gun on himself, ending his own life at the scene.
As Ratzmann was the sole perpetrator and died by suicide, there were no arrests to be made. The investigation by the Brookfield police focused on understanding the motive behind the devastating attack. They searched the home Ratzmann shared with his mother and sister, seizing computers and a rifle, but found no suicide note. The incident was ultimately deemed a murder-suicide, a violent outburst from a troubled individual that left a permanent scar on the congregation and the community, forever altering the lives of those who had gathered for a day of peace and worship.
