Texas: A man opened fire inside of a church in a small South Texas community on Sunday, killing 27 people and wounding about 20 others in the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history, media said. The man responsible for the killing on Sunday has been identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, media said. Kelley, 26, walked into the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs just before noon and began firing, authorities said. One of the victims shot, was a two-year-old child. Police told Channel that Kelly was dead. However, they did not specify the cause.
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.
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.
President Donald Trump tweeted “May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan”.
Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, who had proposed stricter gun control, said: “We grieve with all the families in Sutherland Springs harmed by this act of hatred. We’ll stand with the survivors as they recover. May God also grant all of us the wisdom to ask what concrete steps we can take to reduce the violence and weaponry in our midst.”
