ELCA News Blog
July 31, 2006
Former Lutheran dies in Seattle shooting
by Katherine R. Hinck*, ELCA News Service
Pamela Waechter, a former Lutheran and major contributor to the Jewish community, was killed July 28 at the Jewish Federation building, Seattle. Waechter was working at the Jewish Federation building that afternoon when a man entered the building with a gun. He shot six women, killing Waechter and wounding five others. Waechter, 58, was the annual-campaign director for the federation.
Born in Minneapolis, Waechter was raised a Lutheran and converted to Judaism after marrying Bill Waechter. She and her husband moved to Seattle in 1979. Waechter is survived by her brother Chuck Hall, a daughter, Nicole, and a son, Mark.
Police arrested suspect Naveed Afzal Haq, 30, about 12 minutes after the shooting began. The Seattle police are treating the shooting as a hate crime.
*Katherine R. Hinck is a senior journalism and religion major at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service. Information was provided by The Seattle Times. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog