TEXAS: Devin Patrick Kelley, the gunman who killed 26 people at a small-town Texas church reportedly had a history of domestic violence, and able to buy weapons only because the Air Force did not submit his criminal history to the FBI as per military rules. Kelley, who fired at least 450 rounds at helpless worshippers on Sunday morning, had sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law, member of First Baptist, before the attacks. He had served in the Air Force from January 5, 2010, to May 9, 2014. He was formally ousted in 2012 after he choked his wife and struck her son hard enough to fracture his skull.
The incident took place in a tiny town of Sutherland Springs, where grieving townspeople are currently reeling from their losses. Victims ranged from the ages of 18 months to 77 years, and included multiple members of several families. Wife of the church pastor Sherri Pomeroy, who was out of town like her husband, when the attack happened, said, “Our church was not comprised of members or parishioners. We were a very close family. Now most of our church family is gone.” The couple's teenaged daughter Annabelle is amongst those killed. While Kelley's mother-in-law too attended services there, the sheriff said she was not at church on the unfortunate day.
The shooter, based on evidence at the scene, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was chased by bystanders, one of whom was armed. The 26 year old also used his cellphone to tell his father he had been shot and did not think he would survive. Wilson County Sheriff Joe D. Tackitt Jr said once the shooting began, there was probably “no way” for congregants to escape. Dressed in black tactical gear, the gunman fired an assault rifle as he walked down the centre aisle during worship services. He turned around and continued shooting on his way out of the building.
About 20 people were wounded, with 10 of them still hospitalised in critical condition. President Donald Trump who is one trip to Asia, condemned the attack, stating the mass shooting wasn't a “guns situation”, but is a “mental health problem at the highest level.” He called the shooting an “act of evil” and denounced the violence in “a place of sacred worship” and pledged full support of the federal government. He also ordered that all US flags would be flown half-mast to honour those killed.
