Texas Church Attack: Gunman Shot Himself Dead, Says Sheriff
A gunman entered a church in a small town in Texas and opened fire resulting in “multiple” fatalities and injuries
A man opened fire inside a church in a small South Texas community on Sunday, killing at least 26 people and wounding others before being “taken down,” authorities said.
Officials say that the 26 people killed in a shooting at a small South Texas church range in age from 18 months to 77 years old.
After the shooting, the gunman was fired on by a local resident with a rifle. The suspect dropped his assault weapon, and fled in his vehicle. Soon afterward, the suspect crashed his vehicle near the border of neighboring Guadalupe County and was found dead inside with a cache of weapons.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect killed himself or was hit when the resident fired at him outside the church, authorities said.
- A gunman massacred at least 26 worshipers and wounded 20 others at a church in Texas on Sunday
- The gunman was fired on by a local resident after which he fled in a car that later crashed and killed him
- The gunman reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- US President Donald Trump said he is monitoring the situation from Japan
- The shooter has reportedly been identified as a 26-year-old Devin Kelley from San Antonio.
Gunman Had Briefly Escaped from a Mental Health Facility in 2012
A 2012 police report says that the Texas church gunman had made death threats against his military superiors and had been caught trying to sneak firearms onto an Air Force base in New Mexico where he had been stationed.
The information was contained in a police incident report after Devin Kelley briefly escaped in June, 2012 from a mental health facility in New Mexico where he had been committed. KPRC television in Houston first reported about the escape.
Police in El Paso, Texas, where Kelley was caught after the escape, said in the report that an official of the mental health facility told them that Kelley "was a danger to himself and others."
The report says that Kelley had already been caught sneaking firearms onto Holloman Air Force base. It also says that he "was attempting to carry out death threats that (Kelley) had made on his military chain of command."
Suspected Shooter Might Be Involved in Domestic Violence, Officials Investigating
Authorities in Texas say law enforcement went to the home of the suspected church gunman three years ago to investigate a domestic violence complaint involving him and his then-girlfriend.
Paul Anthony, a spokesman for the Comal County district attorney's office, told The Associated Press that sheriff's deputies were called just after 10 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2014, to the New Braunfels home of Devin Patrick Kelley and his family.
Citing a sheriff's office report, Anthony says a friend of Kelley's girlfriend told authorities she received a text message from the girlfriend that indicated "her boyfriend was abusing her." When sheriff's deputies arrived at the home, they were told by people in the house that there was no problem.
No arrests were made. Kelley married Danielle Shields two months later.
Kelley was discharged from the Air Force the same year after being punished for allegedly assaulting his spouse and child.
Shooter Killed Himself: Wilson Country Sheriff
Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt has told CBS News that the shooter is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"There was some gunfire exchanged, I believe, on the roadway also, and then (the shooter's vehicle) wrecked out," said Tackitt. "At this time we believe that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after he wrecked out."
Motorist Emerged as a Hero After Pursuing Shooter, Preventing Casualties
A motorist, who along with another man, chased down the heavily armed gunman in a high speed car chase is being hailed as hero.
Johnie Langendoff was on his way to his girlfriend’s house, when the local man who was armed with a rifle as well sought his help to pursue the attacker and prevent more casualties.
US President Donald Trump has said that it was fortunate that another person on the scene had a firearm, otherwise “it would have been much worse.”
"He just hurt so many people, and he just affected so many people's lives ... Why wouldn't you want to take him down?" he said about the attacker.
Langendoff stayed on the phone with the dispatch during the chase, until near an intersection the attacker Kelley appeared to lose control of his SUV.
According to a news release from Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt, Kelley was found dead inside the vehicle.
Suspect Reportedly Identified
Two officials have identified the suspect in a mass shooting at a Texas church as 26-year-old Devin Kelley. Texas shooter reportedly had assault rifle, wore “ballistic vest”.
The US official said Kelley lived in a suburb of San Antonio and that he doesn't appear to be linked to organised terrorist groups.
“We don't think he had any connection to this church,” Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt told CNN.
The official added that investigators are looking at social media posts Kelley may have made in the days before Sunday's attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon.
LA Times reported that Kelley was court-martialed and kicked out of US Air Force for assaulting his wife and their child. He was also jailed for 12 months.
26 People Killed in Attack
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that 26 people were killed in the attack on a Texas church and that it was the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history.
Abbott's remarks came during a news conference Sunday, hours after the attack on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.
The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old.
Pastor's 14-Year-Old Daughter Among Those Killed
Among those killed was the 14-year-old daughter of the church's pastor and his wife. Sherri Pomeroy said in a text message to the AP that she and her husband were out of town when the attack occurred, but they lost their daughter "and many friends."
Texas Governor Calls the Shooting An "Evil Act"
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting an "evil act," and promised "more details" from the state's Department of Public Safety soon.
He said he was enroute to meet the families and federal officials and will conduct a public briefing soon.
Law Enforcement Officials Rush to the Spot
Federal law enforcement swarmed the scene to offer assistance, including ATF investigators and members of the FBI's evidence collection team.
Gunman Fled from the Church but Was Killed: Official
The official, who was briefed on the investigation, says the gunman fled the church in a vehicle after the shooting and was also killed, either by a self-inflicted wound or during a confrontation with police. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The official says between 10 to 15 people were also injured but stressed the investigation was early and the figures could change. Authorities are still trying to determine a motive.
Injured People Are Being Treated at a Nearby Medical Centre
Megan Posey, a spokeswoman for Connally Memorial Medical Center, which is in Floresville and about 10 miles from the church, said "multiple" victims were being treated for gunshot wounds. She declined to give a specific number but said it was less than a dozen.
At Least 20 People Killed, More Than 20 Injured: Unconfirmed Reports
A County Commissioner in Texas says he's been told that more than 20 people were killed and more than 20 were wounded in an attack at a church, though he says those figures haven't been confirmed.
Donald Trump Monitoring Texas from Japan
Donald Trump tweeted expressing grief at the mass shooting incident. He said he is monitoring the situation from Japan.
Multiple Deaths Reported After Gunman Opens Fire in a Texas Church
A sheriff says a man walked into a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and started shooting, leaving multiple people dead.
The Wilson County News reports that Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said the shooter has been taken down. It wasn't immediately known how many people were killed and wounded or who carried out the attack.
First responders converged on the church in the small town southeast of San Antonio and helicopters are taking victims to hospitals.
Sutherland Springs is a community of about 400 people 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.
(This is a developing story. More details awaited)
(With inputs from AP)
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