An air of normalcy has settled over the Family History Library, which reopened Monday morning, April 19, after having been closed since a gunman opened fire Thursday, April 15, killing two people and wounding four others.
Killed in the incident were a Church Security employee, Donald Thomas, 62, and a patron from Pleasant Hill, Calif., Patricia Frengs, 55. Brother Thomas' funeral was held April 19. (Please see article on this page.) The funeral for Mrs. Frengs, a member of the Church of Christ, was to be held April 23.Police mortally wounded the gunman, Sergei Babarin, 70, a Russian immigrant who was not a member of the Church and who, apparently, had no particular grudge against the Church. He reportedly suffered from mental illness. (See April 17 Church News.)
Three women, all members of the Church, who were hospitalized with wounds are continuing recovery. A police officer, Brad Davis, received a slight wound to a hand; he was not hospitalized.
Nellie Leighton, 80, from Oakland, Calif., who has been a missionary at the Family History Library for nearly two years, was shot in the face just below her right temple. The bullet shattered her dentures and exited her left cheek. From her hospital bed April 19, she said that she plans to return to her service as a missionary at the library as soon as she gets a new set of teeth. She declared that she has no reservations about returning. "I want to be a missionary for the rest of my life," she told a Deseret News reporter. "I'll feel safe. I really think this was an isolated incident. You can't live your life in fear."
Among the wounded were a mother and daughter from the Laketown (Utah) Ward, Paris Idaho Stake. Theda Weston, 71, was shot in the face, suffering damage to her sinuses. The bullet that struck her was lodged near the base of her skull. Fragments of the bullet were removed as they were encountered during reconstructive plastic surgery April 20.
Sister Weston's daughter, Christine Webb, 45, was shot in the shoulder. She was discharged from the hospital on April 17.
Sister Weston and Sister Webb often searched family history records at the Laketown Ward meetinghouse, which is located in a small town on the south end of Bear Lake, but enjoyed going to the Family History Library for more extensive research.
The library remained closed until Monday, April 19. Hundreds of patrons were lined up, waiting to enter the library as soon as its doors opened at 8:30 a.m., an hour later than the usual opening time. Floral wreaths, plants and bouquets adorned a portion of the walkway and entry to the library.
The floral tributes had been brought to the scene of the shooting by individuals, families and groups.
Paul Nauta, manager of planning and communications for the Family History Department, described the atmosphere in the library after its reopening as "very positive, even upbeat."
He said that during the first two days of the reopening, the library had had a larger number of people than usual, since there were groups of people from out of town and out of state who came to do research. He said that employees and missionaries had been busy helping people.
Elaine Hasleton, the library's public affairs supervisor, said, "There are a lot of people on every floor. It's been quite rejuvenating. Everybody seems pleased with the service. The missionaries I supervise report that they haven't heard one single negative statement.
"The library has been fixed up; there is no sign that anything happened. It's just good to be back. People are studying books, they're at microfilm machines, all busy doing family history research."