Detroit religious leaders address assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump
(CBS DETROIT) - As the nation continues to process the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday night, so are people in the Motor City.
The senior pastor at 180 Church in Detroit is on his way to Milwaukee to speak at the Republican National Convention that starts on Monday. That's after hosting Trump during a roundtable discussion in June. He says there's no room for an attack like what happened just outside of Pittsburgh Saturday night, and that's a message that transcends religious and party lines.
"So often in our communities, tragedy has become normal," said 180 Church Senior Pastor Lorenzo Sewell.
180 Church Senior Pastor Lorenzo Sewell rallied for former President Trump in June, a stance he admits doesn't represent the majority of his congregation. He says coming together to process the assassination attempt on a presumed presidential candidate should "trump" any political divide.
"I had a connection with the president. I was shot when I was 11 years old. We had 20 people shot in the city of Detroit just last weekend. Most of my parishioners are Democrats; I completely understand that. But I'm grateful that our church is a church where you can lay down your cultural identifiers, and we all come into unity when it comes to one nation under God," Sewell said.
Religious leaders across Metro Detroit are calling for peace, something many are praying for Sunday morning.
"If we continue down this path, it is a path of destruction. It is the path of dismantling our democracy," said Second Ebeneezer Church Bishop Edgar L. Vann.
Every day, folks around Detroit are even putting politics aside as the reality of what happened in Pittsburgh sets in.
"No matter who you are, seeing a political figure with that kind of violence displayed toward them really just gives you pause, really no matter what aisle you sit on," said Rochester resident Mark Chatman.
"When we heard, I was at my house with my family. We have people on both sides of the political aisle. It was just pure disappointment. It was somber in our house. We watched it just in silence, just kind of like January 6. We watched that in silence too," Metro Detroit resident Christine Anschuetz said.
A somber backdrop to the Republican National Convention that starts on Monday.
Pastor Sewell says he'll take the stage at the RNC on Thursday, mainly speaking about topics including criminal justice reform, strengthening the Black dollar, and funding more mental health resources, as he no doubt also exchanges thoughts and prayers with other Republican leaders following this assassination attempt on Trump.