Shannonhouse related his life of sexual abuse during FSA's annual Angel Walk

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A crowd of walkers wearing pink, purple, and teal flooded into Indiana University Kokomo’s Welcome Center on Sept. 30 with a mission in mind. They were there to show support for those who have experienced domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The campus hosted the annual Angel Walk, presented by the Family Service Association of Howard County. It attracted a considerable crowd, which was both heartwarming and dismaying. For so many to turn out to support those who are hurting spoke to the caring nature of the local community. But the fact that such support is needed demonstrated how much work still needs to be done.

After an introduction from FSA Executive Director Angie Ciski in which she thanked the many employees, volunteers, and supporters of her agency and its domestic violence shelter, Mayor Tyler Moore addressed the crowd, adding his gratitude.

“I love that an event like this is held in Kokomo, but most especially here on campus to see so many young adults and future leaders, hopefully of Kokomo and Howard County,” said Moore. “But if you spread your wings and go to be the future leaders of whatever communities you land in, help make a difference. Help to continue raising awareness for issues like domestic violence and sexual assault.”

Moore then proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Kokomo. He was followed by Tracy Brown, the director of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program at FSA, who shared some disheartening statistics about domestic violence in Howard County and the U.S.

“To understand the impact of domestic violence, we need to look at who it affects and how widespread it is, how serious is the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Brown.

In 2024, FSA’s domestic violence shelter served 431 people, ranging in age from 0 to 64. It handled 263 crisis calls and referred those in need to 5,580 services.

“Our domestic violence shelter has served as a lifeline, offering essential support and safe haven for women, men and children escape and abuse,” said Brown. “Our shelter provides a wide range of critical services, including a 24-hour crisis hotline, shelter, one-on-one case management, and sexual assault advocacy. We are now a certified rape crisis center as well.

“We also support survivors of human trafficking, offer specialized children’s programming, provide supportive housing and connect individuals with additional community resources and referrals.

“Together, we’ve seen how critical these services are and why raising awareness matters. Ending domestic violence requires all of us, our compassion, our voices and our actions.”

It was then time for the event’s featured speaker. A few in the crowd may have been surprised to see a man walk to the podium, as domestic violence predominantly impacts women. One in four women experience domestic violence or sexual assault in their lives, but one in 13 men do as well.

Josh Shannonhouse is one of those men. A local business owner and ordained minister, Shannonhouse related his experience, perhaps for the first time in such a public setting.

“Sexual abuse has been a common theme in my family,” said Shannonhouse. “It’s been swept under the rug, hushed, not discussed openly. But you know what? That ends today.”

Shannonhouse disclosed that he, his mother, his aunt, and his sisters were sexually abused by their grandfather for years.

“For reasons still unknown to me today, I and my three younger sisters were taken around my grandparents as kids, and my grandfather proceeded to sexually molest all four of us,” said Shannonhouse. “The acts he did were bad enough, but the insistence -- when we tried to tell people -- that we were lying ... we were yelled at. We were demonized.”

With no relief or protection from his family, Shannonhouse relished the chance to get away when he graduated high school and entered college.

“But I was broken,” he said. “I entered college dating a 21 year-old; probably not the best choice. She was old enough to buy alcohol, so I learned how to party pretty quick, and I would often wake up hugging the toilet back then.”

He acknowledged that alcohol was an escape from the pain, but he still couldn’t get away from the influence of his family or the pain of his past.

“Eventually, I just gave up,” Shannonhouse said. “I just partied more, stopped going to class. My academics spiraled down. I was asked after three semesters to politely leave the campus, as I had academically been kicked out of campus.

“I had to move back home, where I was accused of doing crazy drugs. I was an idiot. I maliciously wasted time and money. How could I be so dumb to just blow my chances at college? I was constantly told I was ungrateful, lazy, and a burden to my family; the same things that I was lied about with the sexual abuse as a kid. The fear, intimidation, and manipulation continued into young adulthood.”

But something good came from it, he said. His father turned him out. He was on his own. And he was happy about it. Shannonhouse enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College and began acing his classes. He transferred to Purdue University in Kokomo, studying information technology.

He worked at the IUK library and did extra work when asked, like running infrastructure for the campus’ Wi-Fi network. The opportunities kept coming. He found Christ, but he still couldn’t shake the memories and the anger from the abuse during his upbringing.

“I was living back in Kokomo, and I worked in Carmel,” said Shannonhouse. “I’d have these 45-minute drives. That was the only time I wasn’t distracted with something to do in life, and that’s when I started getting very angry and plotting to kill my grandfather. It was a very dark time.

“It got so bad I had to ask my wife to hide my handgun because I thought I was actually going to sneak out one night and do it. But it didn’t matter. I’m going to sneak into his house. I’m going to tie him up. I want to pull the gas line off the furnace. I want to throw silverware in the microwave and set it on high. I’m going to walk out and watch the house explode.”

Faced with such anger, Shannonhouse turned to God and begged for Him to help. Over the course of a few months, the anger started to lessen. No longer did he fantasize about killing his grandfather; he only hated him and wanted him to die. And then even that hate began to subside.

“I was exhausted, my body, my spirit, everything,” siad Shannonhouse. “And I just said, ‘God, I can’t even carry this anymore. Please help me to forgive him, because it’s just too much weight to carry anymore.’”

That forgiveness came, but then he got cocky.

“I said, ‘All right, God, I forgave him. You probably want me to pray for His salvation. I don’t want to,’” said Shannonhouse. “I had never heard God’s voice, audibly, in my life before that moment. In that moment, I did. He said, ‘Son, who do you think you are? Jesus died for him, too.’

“I have never been so convicted and spun around so quickly in my life. And I instantly said, ‘God, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, and please save my grandfather.’ And I meant it.”

In 2020, Shannonhouse experienced divorce, but through it, he drew even closer to God. He began preaching. In 2022, he began studying at seminary, and it was then that he decided to reach out to his grandfather.

“I was able to write a letter, because I finally had the words to share the gospel,” said Shannonhouse. “I wrote, ‘You’re getting old. You cared about me as a kid. You told me not to get tattoos. I care about you.’ I didn’t want a response. I just thought God told me to write.”

A year after he sent that letter, his mother and sister reached out with shocking news. His grandfather started going to church.

“I just looked up to God and said, ‘Wow.’” he said.

Since that time, Shannonhouse has started a nonprofit to fight human trafficking and sexual abuse. Called the Shannonhouse Initiative, he and others advocate and help people heal.

“I can tell you, there is healing possible,” said Shannonhouse. “It’s happened in my life and many other people that I know, and it can happen for you and the people you love as well. So. I just encourage you all to keep fighting the good fight, to help those in need.”

Uplifted by the message, the hundreds in attendance headed out to participate in the Angel Walk, circling the IUK campus before ending up at the Student Activities Center for a group photo.

See additional photos from this event on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.