At least 26 people died and others were injured Sunday when a gunman
opened fire at a church in a small town southeast of San Antonio, officials say.
The incident occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small community located in Wilson County about 30 miles away from San Antonio.
The gunman, identified by law enforcement as 26-year-old Devin Kelley, is now deceased, but it remains unclear how he died.
Multiple victims with gunshot wounds were being treated at the Connally Memorial Medical Center, a representative for the hospital told TIME. She could not give further details on their conditions.
Four patients were later transferred to University Hospital in San Antonio for higher-level care, hospital spokesperson Megan Posey told AP. Another eight victims were taken by medical helicopter to the Brooke Army Medical Center.
“We can not put into words the pain and grief we all feel,” said President Donald Trump on Sunday in a press conference from Japan, his first stop on a trip to multiple Asian countries.
The number of victims and those injured make the incident one of the largest mass shootings in recent history, and comes just a month after a gunman opened fire on a crowd at a concert in Las Vegas, killing 58 people.
Multiple fatalities and injuries at Texas church shooting
At least 26 people were killed and 20 were wounded as a result of the incident, making it one of the most deadly mass shootings in recent history.
The daughter of First Baptist Church’s pastor Frank Pomeroy died in the attack, her mother Sherri Pomeroy told the AP. Both Sherri and Frank Pomeroy were out of town during the shooting. Their 14-year-old daughter was among those killed, along with “many friends,” Sherri Pomeroy said.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) official Freeman Martin said during a press conference on Sunday that 23 people were found dead inside the church, while two people were found outside. One person died after being transferred to a local hospital.
Martin said about 20 people have been transported to local hospitals. Injuries sustained from the gunfire range from minor to severe, Martin said, and the shooting victims’ ages range from 5 to 72.
Who was the suspected shooter?
Authorities identified 26-year-old
Devin Kelley as the suspected church shooter, the AP reported. Kelley died in the aftermath of the shooting, Murphy of the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office said, though his cause of death has not been confirmed.
Law enforcement officials said that Kelley, described as white, male and in his 20s, was seen around 11:20 a.m. at a gas station in Sutherland Springs. He crossed the street to First Baptist Church, and began firing from outside after exiting his vehicle. He then moved to the right side of the church and fired, before entering the church and shooting more.
Martin said a local citizen confronted the gunman, who was dressed in black “tactical type gear” as he left the church, grabbed his rifle and chased him from the scene. The gunman drove away, and crashed his vehicle near the county line, where he was found dead. It is unclear if he died of a self-inflicted wound or was shot by the citizen who confronted him. Several weapons were also found inside the vehicle.
Kelley served in the Air Force from 2010 until he was court-martialed and discharged in 2012 for allegedly assaulting his wife and child, the AP reports. Kelley, who was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, served a one year detention sentence following his discharge, according to Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek.
Officials said an address listed online to Kelley is located in the San Antonio suburb of New Braunfels, about 35 miles from Sutherland Springs.
Where did the Texas church shooting happen?
The shooting occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The small community is located in Wilson County, Texas, about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.
The small church regularly posted videos on YouTube of its Sunday services, where a number of members of the congregation gathered for services lasting more than an hour long. Services appeared to have been attended by young children and families, and also featured a number of songs.
How did politicians react to the Texas church shooting?
A number of politicians took to Twitter to share their condolences and prayers with the victims of the shooting.
President Donald Trump, who is currently in Japan, tweeted that he is monitoring the situation.
“May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas,” Trump wrote. “The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.”
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