The tragedy has shocked the close-knit community that hopes for a swift resolution. But what is not unexpected is how people have been rallying around the family. There have been prayer vigils, including one Wednesday evening at the Christian Life Center in Butler Twp., the home church of the Flynn family.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
About 100 people gathered for a time of prayer, with pastors and counselors available for those in need.
The Rev. Jarod Hansen, the church’s lead pastor, read scripture from the book of Psalms and led a prayer.
“Would you comfort hearts this week? We need your help, Jesus. We need your heart,” he said. “We invite you, Holy Spirit, to do ministry this week amongst your people. Please go before us. Please go before us.”
The Tipp City Police Department on Wednesday night released a statement reiterating that there is no information indicating that the community is in danger.
“Investigators believe this was an isolated incident targeted at this specific residence,” the statement read.
Also in the community, some restaurants have announced days where a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Flynns, and an online fundraiser with a $50,000 goal has far surpassed that, collecting nearly $96,000 within two days.
“We all just really come together,” said Emily Rickmon, whose children attend school with Flynn’s two daughters in the Tipp City School District. Flynn also was her children’s teacher at LifeWise Academy, a nonprofit program that provides weekly Bible-based lessons to public school children off campus.
Flynn is a graduate of Tippecanoe High School and Lee University, a private Christian university in Cleveland, Tennessee. She coached girls volleyball at Tippecanoe Middle School and was a substitute teacher in the district, where she formerly was an elementary school teacher.
“She was just the sweetest person ever. The whole family, they’re all great,” Rickmon said.
It hasn’t been easy helping her children understand why this happened to their teacher, Rickmon said. They also are afraid and want to double check that all the doors and windows are locked and the lights on outside.
“We’ve always felt safe here,” said Rickmon. “You just aren’t as safe as you think you are these days.”
Rickmon said she’s told her children to keep praying to God and to not have fear.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
One man said Flynn was his fifth-grade teacher.
“She was the teacher who actually got me to like school,” said the man, who did not want to give his name.
“We were pretty surprised that something like that happened in Tipp City,” said Dan Reed, whose mother lives in the same neighborhood as the Flynns.
“We had a conversation about what (additional) security do you want,” he said.
Jared Wilson of Allen Financial Group based in Troy was in downtown Tipp City on Wednesday afternoon. He said his sister attends church with the Flynns.
“It was shocking to know this happened right down the road from us. It’s an uneasy feeling and sad, extremely sad.”
Crews were called around 2:30 a.m. for a reported home burglary in the 900 block of Cunningham Court. Ashley Flynn was found inside, where she was shot twice, Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins said previously. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Her husband and two children also were home at the time of the shooting.
Investigators were seen at the house Wednesday morning going inside the side garage door and through the front door. At one point an interior door was taken through the side garage door and placed in back of a pickup truck. The truck was parked in the driveway, inside the yellow police tape that surrounds the property.
Tipp City police have remained on scene around the clock since the shooting was reported. The department is the lead agency and is receiving assistance from the FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Miami County Sheriff’s Office and Miami County Prosecutor’s Office.
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