Tri-City family mourning loved ones killed in Texas church shooting

Pam Massey’s phone rang in the middle of church last Sunday.

The Tri-City woman — who attends and works at College View Baptist Church in Pasco — stepped out to answer the call, and learned the shocking news. A gunman had opened fire during a worship service in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing and wounding dozens of people.

Massey’s daughter, Jenni Holcombe, attends the church. Was she OK? What about her husband and young daughter?

As Massey and her husband, Scott, waited for more news, their pastor and fellow congregants in Pasco gathered around them.

“We grabbed them and prayed for them,” Pastor David Popovich said.

Then, another phone call came. It was Jenni.

She had survived the shooting, which left at least 26 dead, but her husband, Danny, and 18-month-old daughter, Noah, both were wounded. They died from their injuries.

The Masseys are in Texas now, helping Jenni after the devastating loss.

College View Baptist Church is collecting donations for the family. A prayer service is planned at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The public is welcome.

“On Sunday, we held the family and cried with them. We prayed over them. We just hugged them and loved them,” Popovich told the Herald.

With the prayer service, “we want to sing and pray and talk about (what happened), and find some healing in the midst of tragedy.”

Along with Danny and Noah, several other members of the extended Holcombe family were killed.

Danny’s parents, Bryan and Karla, both died. Bryan was an associate pastor at the Texas church.

Crystal Holcombe, Danny’s pregnant sister-in-law — married to his brother, John — also was killed, along with three of her children, ages 8 to 13, and her unborn child.

Danny Holcombe was a mechanic for F&W Electrical Contractors in Floresville, Texas, and was known as an innovative and hard-working employee.

“If you would go to the back shop where the mechanics were at, he would always be working,” a colleague told The Washington Post.

He also was a devoted dad. “The only thing...that he would stop working for was to tell you about his daughter. Because he was very proud of her,” the colleague said.

Noah was a friendly, beautiful child, who charmed her dad’s co-workers.

“One of the mechanics was telling me, she was just giving him a kiss last Thursday,” the colleague told The Post. “She’s so sweet. Very curious. Just full of life.”

Popovich has been in touch with Pam Massey, who works as an executive assistant at the Pasco church.

She and Scott are “hanging in there,” and are leaning on their faith, Popovich said.

“The biggest thing that Pam and Scott have asked for is to pray for Jenni, pray for the family,” the pastor said. “They say, ‘Please pray.’”

To donate to the Massey family online, go to collegeviewpasco.churchcenteronline.com/giving and click on “add donation” to get to the Massey Family Fund option.

An offering for the family also will be taken during the Wednesday prayer service. College View Baptist Church is at 2100 W. Agate St., Pasco.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Tri-City family mourning loved ones killed in Texas church shooting."