Sunday’s shooting at a Knoxville church by an unemployed truck driver was prompted by the alleged gunman’s hatred of gays and anger over the church’s support for liberal causes, police said on Monday.

A four-page letter written by Jim David Adkisson, the 58 year-old gunman, was found in his SUV in the church parking lot, said Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV. The content of the letter provided authorities some insight as to why Adkisson stormed the sanctuary of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church during a children’s musical presentation, killing two congregants and wounding seven.

Police believe Adkisson targeted this particular church because of its support of liberal causes, including advocacy of women and gay rights. Rev. Chris Buice, the church’s pastor, occasionally wrote guest columns promoting his church’s progressive views for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. In March, Rev. Buice wrote a piece for the newspaper entitled “Tolerance,” in which he compared the intolerance of today’s gay couples with the intolerance of interracial couples in the past.  The church sponsor

“It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that and his stated hatred of the liberal movement,” Chief Owen said at a news conference on Monday.  

According to his hand written manifesto Adkisson, who had served in the military, said “that because he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement he would then target those who had voted them in office.”  

Three books, “The O’Reilly Factor” by conservative television commentator Bill O’Reilly, “Liberalism is a Mental Disorder,” by conservative radio personality Michael Savage, and conservative political pundit Sean Hannity’s “Let Freedom Ring”, were among the items seized by police from Adkisson’s home.   

Five people remained hospitalized Tuesday in serious or critical condition. Greg McKendry, 60, one of those fatally wounded in the shooting spree. is being hailed as a hero for placing himself between the gunman and members of the congregation. No children were hurt in the tragic incident.  

Witnesses said some of the church members wrestled Adkisson to the ground after he pulled a 12-gauge shotgun recently purchased from a pawnshop from a guitar case and randomly fired three times. The suspect remained in jail Monday, charged with one count of first-degree murder one $1 million bail.  More Charges are forthcoming, said authorities.