A man opened fire inside of a church in a small South Texas community on Sunday, killing at least 26 people and wounding 24 others before being killed or killing himself.
The suspect has been identified as Devin P. Kelley, 26, who police say killed family members before launching his attack at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.
A U.S. official said Kelly lived in New Braunfels, Texas, a San Antonio suburb and doesn’t appear to be linked to organized terrorist groups. The official said 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.
CBS News reported Kelley is a former U.S. Air Force member who served from 2010 to 2014. He was dishonorably discharged and court martialed in May 2014.
Federal law enforcement swarmed the small community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio after the attack to offer assistance, including ATF investigators and members of the FBI’s evidence collection team.
Among those killed was the 14-year-old daughter of the church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, and his wife, Sherri. Sherri Pomeroy wrote in a text message to the AP that she and her husband were out of town in two different states when the attack occurred.
“We lost our 14 year old daughter today and many friends,” she wrote. “Neither of us have made it back into town yet to personally see the devastation. I am at the charlotte airport trying to get home as soon as i can.”
The wounded were taken to hospitals. Video on KSAT television showed first responders taking a stretcher from the church to a waiting AirLife helicopter. Some victims were taken by medical helicopter to the Brooke Army Medical Center, the station said.
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.
Alena Berlanga, a Floresville resident who was monitoring the chaos on a police scanner and in Facebook community groups, said everyone knows everyone in the sparsely populated county.
“This is horrific for our tiny little tight-knit town,” said Alena Berlanga. “Everybody’s going to be affected and everybody knows someone who’s affected,” she said.
Regina Rodriguez arrived at the church a couple of hours after the shooting and walked up to the police barricade. She hugged a person she was with. She had been at an amusement park with her children when she heard of the shooting.
She said her father, 51-year-old Richard Rodriguez, attends the church every Sunday, and she hadn’t been able to reach him. She said she feared the worst.
Nick Uhlig, 34, is a church member who didn’t go Sunday morning because he was out late Saturday night. He said his cousins were at the church and that his family was told at least one of them, a woman with three children and pregnant with another, is among the dead. He said he hadn’t heard specific news about the other.
“We just gathered to bury their grandfather on Thursday,” he said. “This is the only church here. We have Bible study, men’s Bible study, vacation Bible school.”
“Somebody went in and started shooting,” he said, shaking his head and taking a long drag of his cigarette.
President Donald Trump tweeted from Japan, where is his on an Asian trip, that he was monitoring the situation following the shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the shooting an “evil act,” and promised “more details” from the state’s Department of Public Safety soon.
Sutherland Springs is in a rural area where communities are small and tight-knit. The area is known for its annual peanut festival in Floresville, which was most recently held last month.
“We’re shocked. Shocked and dismayed,” said state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Laredo Democrat whose district includes Sutherland Springs. “It’s especially shocking when it’s such a small, serene area. These rural areas, they are so beautiful and so loving.”
Zaffirini said she had called several county and local officials but not been able to get through and didn’t have any firm details.
The church is a white, wood-framed building with a double-door at the entrance and a Texas flag on a pole at the front area. A morning worship service was scheduled for 11 a.m. The first news reports of the shooting were between noon and 12:30 p.m.
The church has posted videos of its Sunday services on a YouTube channel, raising the possibility that the shooting was captured on video.
In the most recent service, posted Oct. 29, Frank Pomeroy parked a motorcycle in front of his lectern and used it as a metaphor in his sermon for having faith in forces that can’t be seen, whether it be gravity or God.
“I don’t look at the moment, I look at where I’m going and look at what’s out there ahead of me,” Pomeroy said. “I’m choosing to trust in the centripetal forces and the things of God he’s put around me.”
May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2017
Statement on shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX. pic.twitter.com/ffUbQgYdWD
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) November 5, 2017
BREAKING NEWS: 27 Dead, 24 Injured In Texas Church Shooting, Official Tells CNN – https://t.co/DuJM7KR7ep
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2017
NEW: FBI Responding To Mass Shooting at Texas Church – https://t.co/DuJM7KR7ep pic.twitter.com/wKQ0cP3qFl
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2017
DEVELOPING: : Up to 16 shot at Texas church after gunman opens fire during service – https://t.co/DuJM7KR7ep
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2017
MASS CASUALTY: Several people have been shot at a church in Sutherland Springs, TX
Here’s What We Know: https://t.co/DuJM7KR7ep pic.twitter.com/12Qm3wDmyC
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2017
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25 Responses
and promised “more details” from the state’s Department of Public Safety soon. Can only mean to commission Mike Bloomberg to banish every single gun from the USA. Any other detail, would be totally meaningless & useless.
BDE….what a tragedy…
Of course, we cannot even talk about restrictions on guns, since the gunlovers will quickly point out what happened in NYC…….”rental trucks from Home Depot don’t kill people…people kill people”
To 147: The Texas Dept. of Public Safety is the State’s umbrella agency responsible for police departments in Texas. All info will come through the TxDPS.
GH, early reports have stated that the killer was shot by a witness who happened to be carrying a weapon, which caused him to flee the scene. He was eventually later killed by deputies. Unfortunately, more people in the church were not armed. Talking about gun confiscations/bans is a moot point because that policy will just start another American civil war or revolution. The only other options is to allow good guys to be armed for self defense.
Semi automatic rifles and magazines more than 10 rounds should be forbidden to posess.
You can defend yourself with a pump action shotgun or a glock 30 just fine.
AR carbines are not protected by the 2nd amendment.
GH:
Gun laws have never succeeded in preventing criminals from getting them. The laws stop honest, law abiding citizens from getting them. Study the subject. I am all for limiting gun access, but it will not dent gun related crime. It will only remove a tool of self defense for responsible citizens.
Not enough is known about the factors that contributed to this horrific crime, so comment is reserved until it has some fact to support it.
I see ISIS in his eyes!!
Too bad there (apparently) weren’t numerous congregants with pistols shooting back.
The death-toll (and injuries) would have been much less.
I’ll reiterate one of my favorite bumper-sticker quotes:
“When every second counts, the police are just moments away…”
p.s.
I just read this sentence in another News-report:
“Authorities said a civilian with a gun confronted the attacker and chased him away. The gunman was later found dead in his vehicle.”
Note: I don’t understand why the civilian didn’t shoot dead the murderer, but it seems that without this armed civilian, the death-toll would have indeed been higher.
Guys- now that we know it’s a nice white boy, no need for any further investigations or reporting, its time for Sunday night football!!!!! USA 🇺🇸 USA!!!!
The main thing now is not to politicize the tragedy. How about we talk about closing of the border to the south and the middle of the country ? The only place you can get into NY from is LA!! Let the south and the middle of the country overdose and blow each other’s brains out. No gun control, just borders around the mid west, the south and of course the great state of Texas!!!
it seems that Americans are becoming more and more unhinged and violent in a mass killing thing.
I was born and raised there but never remember such things going on 50 years ago. What has changed? Maybe because so many do NOT believe in G-d?
Too bad the churchgoers weren’t packing heat. (That means carrying guns).
We would have had less deaths.
Trump is quick to blame visa lottery programs (which he himself uses in Mar a Lago) and Chuck Schumer for the attack in NY. He scapegoats all immigrants everytime a crime is committed by an immigrant in this country (“Not their best people, believe me”) yet remains eerily silent with regards to blame when Americans are murdered in cold blood by white gun-toting American citizens. The man is a gutless hypocrite who fecklessly panders to his pro NRA base. For all his big tough talk, in reality, he is a little wimp who is afraid to take on the gun lobby. He has made no movement on banning bump stocks and automatic weapons that are killing so many. He is only capable of infantile rhetoric against immigrants and foreigners.
GH, he was stopped by a civilian with a gun, who then jumped in the truck of someone else with a gun, and they then chased the gunman until he ran off the road. oh, and the cops showed up 7 minutes after that. And since the gunman had a dishonorable discharge for a violent offense, he was not able to pass a background check, so his gun was most likely illegal. but no, more laws will help.
Chareidi Amiti, nowhere does the constitution mention self-defense. Ten round magazines make very little difference to anyone with minimal training. The second amendment does apply to AR 15 carbines and rifles. Criminals will not listen to laws, so you will end up with criminals (who have automatic weapons btw) fighting civilians with single shot weapons. Oh, and all Glocks are semi auto.
CrazyKanoi: First of all, everyone panders to their base. thats what politics is, you represent the will of the people who elect you. automatic weapons are used in such a small percentage of killings that it is almost statistically insignificant. And bump stocks? it took me approximately 3 minutes on youtube and at a shooting range to do the same thing the bump stock does with my finger.
The killer was an outspoken atheist, according to reports on some other sites. Seems he had a strong hatred for religion and Christians in particular.
to all those dems that want to limit gun control:
the guy had an prior arrest for domestic violence!
since this is the case it is against the law for him to own a gun (and for someone to sell it to him)
therefore making semi automatic guns illegal (against the law) wouldn’t stop this guy
NOYB – “you represent the will of the people who elect you” A basic civics course refresher would be in order.
Coffe Addict – “since this is the case it is against the law for him to own a gun (and for someone to sell it to him)” Really? Are you aware of gun show and online sales loophole? Are you aware of lax reporting standards? The NRA opposes universal background checks. Sounds like you favor the banning of sales of guns to those with a record of violence. Your position is more in line with “all those dems” than with mainstream Republicans. As a side point “Dems” don’t want to “limit gun control” they want to enact gun control laws that will “limit gun sales”.
crazykanoiy,
you obviously don’t understand my point, even if we “limit gun sales” he would have gotten the gun because 1) He got it illegally anyway (wasn’t supposed to have one yet did) 2) where there’s a will there’s a way
The argument that if you prohibit gun ownership, then only criminals will have guns, is ridiculous. If you really prohibit the guns and really enforce it, then the criminals also won’t have guns. There are countries in the world where common criminals don’t have guns because strict gun control laws are properly enforced.
Attn mdd1:
I respectfully disagree.
1) This country started out with a gun culture. (Hence the 2nd amendment.) And there was a long period of time that there were zero restrictions for anybody to obtain a firearm.
It would be next to impossible to eradicate it. (So we might as well arm the responsible citizens too.)
Whereas the other countries you speak of are much more ancient than the U.S.A. and they never developed our culture to begin with.
2) Your ‘methodology’ has been long ago implemented regarding narcotics.
So, after all these decades, how hard is it for the law-breakers to acquire drugs?
thank you wise guy,
I was actually going to mention alcohol being outlawed a century ago but that didn’t stop people from finding whatever they can to use to get drunk
Wise-Guy:
1. People are getting murdered. They need to starting working on changing their culture.
2. Like I said, I mean real enforcement like in the USSR or China- then we would see results.
Wise Guy and Coffee Addict: Drawing analogies to guns from alchol and drugs which are habit forming and addictive is false and inaacurrate. Banning automatic weapons and outlawing possesion with stiff penalties will not necessarily result in a black market that provides easy access to them anyway.