On Sunday, three people died after a shooting at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park. Just 37.2 miles away from Baker University’s campus, the shootings have affected students who have ties to the victims, the area or the Jewish Community Center.

The attack has affected not only those in the Jewish community of Kansas City, but those of all religions, as each of the victims were of Christian faith.

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“Hate, when it is expressed, is nondiscriminatory,” Minister to the University Ira DeSpain said. “In other words, it affects everybody, not just the Jewish community, not just the people who were killed or injured. It affects all of us and makes less of all of us.”

The Jewish Community Center provides recreational, social and educational services to greater Kansas City’s Jewish and secular communities. The center reopened Wednesday.

Because of the history of hatred toward Judaism, DeSpain deems this hate crime as particularly tragic.

“Our Jewish ancestors have been persecuted before, and I think it’s tragic when something happens to anybody who’s from a race that has been abused before,” DeSpain said. “For instance, Jewish people or African Americans. Descendants of people who were slaves. Any time that we harken back to those days is a step backwards and something that we need to stand up against in whatever way we can.”

Although according to law enforcement, the crime was intended to target Judaism, all three victims were of Christian faith. Also, 45 percent of Jewish Community Center members are not Jewish.

Junior Katie Gerlach and freshman Kaitlyn Stout attend the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, the same Christian church as two of the victims, 69-year-old William Corporon and his 14-year-old grandson, Reat Underwood.

“It’s very hard to think about losing two church members to a hate crime like this,” Stout said. “I think in these times of sadness and turmoil, that we just have to remember that God forgives and that we have to try to see the positive looking forward to just help with the families and help with the communities.”

Gerlach lives in an Overland Park neighborhood where many members of the Jewish community reside, about two miles from the Jewish Community Center.

“Just knowing that it has affected my neighborhood personally, and my city. It’s saddening to think that something like this would happen in the world today,” Gerlach said. “I think it definitely is a shock to many people in Overland Park and definitely for me.”

DeSpain pointed out that on a campus of Baker’s size, many people have a “false sense of security” and should keep in mind that events such as this can happen anywhere at any time, but that should not cause them to live in fear.

DeSpain also said this incident, among others in history, serves as a reminder that it is not always an entire religion, country or culture that is to blame because of the actions of one person or a group of people.

“The Muslim faith was not responsible for 9/11. That hatred and terror goes around in every religious tradition and in every culture,” DeSpain said. “To keep that in mind helps you at least focus if you feel disturbed by an action. It at least helps you focus and keeps you from blanket blaming an entire culture or entire religion or entire country.”

Counseling services and support are available to students or individuals who have concerns, fears or need to process through their feelings or anger about the Jewish Community Center shootings.