A 48-year old man shot and killed himself inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller's 'Hour of Power' Crystal Cathedral yesterday. Doing this as a volunteer explained the church's suicide-prevention program to a visiting group police say.
Steve Smick, 48 is said to have handed a note and his driver's license to ushers at the Southern California Hour of Power church as he proceed to walk to the cross as if to pray. Witnesses say Smick appeared to be praying when they heard a "loud pop...what sounded like a firecracker," Senior Pastor Juan Carlos Ortiz said.
It does not appear Smick was a member of the cathedral according to church spokesman Mike Nason.
A volunteer usher at the Hour of Power Crystal Cathedral welcomed Smick as he entered, Betty Spicer, that usher, says Smick handed her a folded up note with two cards inside and told her: "You may want this." Spicer said the note mentioned a pickup truck in the Cathedral parking lot.
Lt. Dennis Ellsworth said Smick used a semiautomatic handgun.
"I didn't realize it. I thought he was praying," Spicer said.
Cathedral spokesman John Charles said none of the tourists were injured.
The Crystal Cathedral is home to 10,000 members in Orange County, it is where the "Hour of Power" broadcast originate. The international television show has been on for more than 30 years. People come just to see where the show is filmed. Dr. Robert Schuller was not in the vicinity at the time of the shooting.
This isn't the first shooting at the Hour of Power Crystal Cathedral. In December 2004, 57-year old Johnnie Carl killed himself after a police standoff. Carl had been recently hospitalized for severe depression, prior to opening fire in the offices of the Crystal Cathedral just before a Christmas pageant. Carl was the orchestra conductor for the cathedral.
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