Jump to content

Sutherland Springs church shooting

Sutherland Springs church shooting
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
8km
5miles
Car crash site
Car crash site
New Braunfels
New Braunfels
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs
LocationFirst Baptist Church
216 4th Street
Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates29°16′24″N 98°03′23″W / 29.2732°N 98.0564°W / 29.2732; -98.0564
DateNovember 5, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-11-05)
c. 11:20 – c. 11:31 a.m.[1] CST (UTC-06:00)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, murder–suicide
Weapon

Perpetrator:

Defender:

Deaths27 (including the perpetrator and an unborn child)
Injured22
PerpetratorDevin Patrick Kelley
Defenders
  • Stephen Willeford (armed defender)
  • Johnnie Langendorff (pursuer)
MotiveDomestic dispute

On November 5, 2017, Devin Kelley shot and killed 26 people and wounded 22 others at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Kelley was shot and wounded by a local resident, then killed himself following a car chase. It is the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history[2] and the deadliest at an American place of worship, surpassing the Charleston church shooting of 2015.[3]

In 2021, a federal judge ruled that the federal government was negligent and awarded victims and families nearly a quarter-billion dollars. The 26-year-old Kelley should not have been allowed to purchase or possess firearms and ammunition because of a prior domestic violence conviction in a court-martial while in the United States Air Force; however, he was still able to buy the weapons because the Air Force did not report the conviction. In response, Congress passed new legislation that fixed holes in background check reporting procedures.

Shooting

A few minutes after 11:00 a.m., Kelley arrived in a white SUV[4] at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.[5] Around 11:20 a.m., Kelley stepped out of the SUV, wearing black tactical gear, a ballistic vest, and a black face-mask featuring a white skull,[6] and wielding a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle. He approached the church from the right, opening fire on and killing two people outside the church and continuing to fire on the building itself. He then entered the sanctuary through a right side door, where worshippers were attending regular Sunday service.[6][7]

After entering, Kelley yelled, "Everybody dies, motherfuckers!" as he proceeded up and down the center aisle and shot at people in the pews.[6][7] Police found 15 empty magazines capable of holding 30 rounds each. Authorities stated Kelley fired approximately 450 rounds during the estimated 11-minute long shooting.[1][8][9][10]

According to investigators, the shooting was captured on a camera set up at the back of the church to record regular services for uploading online. The footage shows Kelley methodically shooting the victims, pausing only to reload his rifle.[11]

Stephen Willeford, former firearms instructor who fired upon and injured the shooter forcing him to flee.

Kelley was then confronted by and traded fire with Stephen Willeford, a local resident and former firearms instructor[12] who was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Willeford had taken cover behind a truck across the street from the church and shot Kelley twice, once in the leg and once in the upper left torso under his tactical gear.[13][14][15] Kelley, who had dropped his rifle during the initial firefight with Willeford, fired back with a handgun before fleeing in his Ford Explorer.[16] Willeford fired one more round as Kelley sped north on FM 539.[16][17] Willeford then noticed a pickup truck pulled up to the intersection of 4th St. and FM 539, driven by Johnnie Langendorff.[4][16]

Willeford approached and entered Langendorff's truck on the passenger side. They then pursued Kelley at high speed for about five to seven minutes. According to Langendorff, they drove at speeds up to 95 miles per hour (155 km/h).[18] While chasing Kelley, the men called police dispatch to report the route and direction of the chase assuming the police were headed toward the church.[19]

During the chase, Kelley called his wife and spoke to her and his parents, informing them "I just shot up the Sutherland Springs church",[20] and telling his father that he was injured and thought that he would not survive.[15] Kelley reportedly repeatedly emphasized how sorry he was.[20] Bleeding from his injuries, Kelley soon lost control of his vehicle, hitting a road sign before crossing a bar ditch at the Hartfield/Sandy Elm Road intersection and finally stopping about 30 feet into the field on the opposite side.[21]

Willeford and Langendorff observed that he was motionless, and police took over the scene when they arrived.[21] Police found Kelley dead in his car with three gunshot wounds, including a self-inflicted head wound.[22][23] Two handguns were found in the vehicle: a Glock 19 9mm and a Ruger SR22 .22-caliber, both of which Kelley had purchased.[24]

Victims

Victims[25]
  • Keith Allen Braden, 62
  • Robert Michael Corrigan, 51
  • Shani Louise Corrigan, 51
  • Emily Garcia, 7
  • Emily Rose Hill, 11
  • Gregory Lynn Hill, 13
  • Megan Gail Hill, 9
  • Carlin Brite Holcombe (unborn child)
  • Crystal Marie Holcombe (8 months pregnant), 36
  • John Bryan Holcombe, 60
  • Karla Plain Holcombe, 58
  • Marc Daniel Holcombe, 36
  • Noah Holcombe, 1
  • Dennis Neil Johnson Sr., 77
  • Sara Johns Johnson, 68
  • Haley Krueger, 16
  • Karen Sue Marshall, 56
  • Robert Scott Marshall, 56
  • Tara E. McNulty, 33
  • Annabelle Renae Pomeroy, 14
  • Richard Cardona Rodriguez, 64
  • Therese Sagan Rodriguez, 66
  • Brooke Bryanne Ward, 5
  • Joann Lookingbill Ward, 30
  • Peggy Lynn Warden, 56
  • Lula Woicinski White, 71
Perpetrator (suicide)
  • Devin Patrick Kelley, 26

The attack occurred during the church's Sunday service.[26] Twenty-six people were killed and 22 others were injured. The dead comprised ten women, seven men, seven girls, one boy, and an unborn child. Twenty-three died inside the church, two outside, and one in a hospital.[27][28] The oldest victim was 77 years old.[11] One victim was the 14-year-old daughter of church pastor Frank Pomeroy, who had not been at the church on the day of the attack.[29][26][22][30] Visiting pastor Bryan Holcombe died with eight family members, including an unborn grandchild.[31]

The injured victims were taken to Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville, University Hospital in San Antonio, and Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston.[5]

One of the wounded victims, Kris Workman, was shot twice and paralyzed from the waist down.[32]

Investigation

The Texas Rangers led the investigation, with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisting.[22] Investigators initially said the shooting was not motivated by racism or prejudice against religion, but by a dispute with Kelley's mother-in-law, although more theories later surfaced.[33] There was no indication that anyone other than Kelley was involved in the shooting.[11]

Perpetrator

Devin Patrick Kelley (February 12, 1991 – November 5, 2017)[34] was raised in New Braunfels, Texas, about 35 miles (56 km) from Sutherland Springs, and attended New Braunfels High School.[26][35][36]

At New Braunfels High, Kelley had a lengthy disciplinary record, which included seven suspensions for "falsifying records, insubordination, profanity and a drug-related offense".[37] One former high school classmate described him as "an outcast but not a loner" who was "popular among other outcasts".[38] However, a martial arts instructor who taught Kelley during that time said Kelley signed up for his class because he was being bullied and that he did not fit in. Kelley graduated in 2009 with a 2.32 grade-point average and a ranking of 260 out of 393 students in his class.[37] A close friend from middle school through high school recalled "he wasn't always a 'psychopath' though" and that "over the years we all saw him change into something that he wasn't".[38]

Military service and violent behavior

After graduating, Kelley enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served in logistics readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2009 until 2014. He married in April 2011.[39][40] In October 2012, he was charged with assaulting his wife and fracturing his toddler stepson's skull. In response, Kelley made death threats against the superior officers who charged him, and he was caught sneaking firearms onto Holloman Air Force Base.[41] Around that same time, he made threats of self-harm to a coworker.[37] He was then admitted to Peak Behavioral Health Services, a mental health facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.[41]

In June 2012, Kelley escaped from Peak Behavioral Health Services but was soon apprehended ten miles away at a bus terminal in El Paso, Texas.[41][42] The facility's director of military affairs later recalled that Kelley had stayed at the facility for several weeks, until he was brought to court-martial. While there, he had expressed a desire for "some kind of retribution to his chain of command" and was discovered to have used computers to order "weapons and tactical gear to a P.O. box in San Antonio".[42]

Kelley and his wife divorced in October 2012.[39] In an interview with , his ex-wife said she lived in constant fear of him, as their marriage was filled with abuse. He once threatened her at gunpoint over a speeding ticket, and later threatened to kill her and her entire family.[43]

Kelley was brought before a general court-martial on four charges: assault on his wife, aggravated assault on his stepson, two charges of pointing a loaded gun at his wife, and two counts of threatening his wife with an unloaded gun. In November 2012, Kelley pleaded guilty to two counts of Article 128 UCMJ, for the assault of his wife and stepson. In return, the weapons charges were dropped.[44][45][46] He was sentenced to 12 months of confinement and a reduction in rank to airman basic. He appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, but was unsuccessful.[47] In 2014, he was dismissed from the Air Force with a bad conduct discharge.[48][49]

Relationships

After his release, Kelley returned to New Braunfels, where he lived in a converted barn at his parents' home. Shortly thereafter, he was investigated for sexual assault and rape, and for a physical assault of his then-girlfriend.[45] A 2013 statement from the woman who accused Kelley of sexual assault detailed an alleged attack on her. A separate statement from Kelley's first wife (who divorced him in October 2012) said that Kelley had physically abused her during the marriage; the woman wrote, "For a whole year, he slapped me, choked me, kicked me, water-boarded me and held a gun to my head."[50][51] However, the Comal County, Texas, Sheriff's Office did not bring charges against Kelley, and "the case became inactive because the victim did not respond to four follow-up calls and messages from a sheriff's office detective."[51]

On April 4, 2014, Kelley married his then-girlfriend.[52] The couple moved into a mobile home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he was charged in August 2014 for misdemeanor cruelty to animals after beating his malnourished husky.[53] He was given a deferred sentence of probation and was ordered to pay restitution and other fees; the charge was dismissed in March 2016, after he completed the sentence.[45][53] In January 2015, a resident of El Paso County, Colorado, was granted a protection order against him.[52]

At the time of the shooting, Kelley was again living at his parents' property in New Braunfels.[45] He reportedly lied about his background to pass a background check and obtain a license from the Texas Department of Public Safety as a security guard,[54][55] and was a security worker at the Summit Vacation and RV Resort in New Braunfels.[35] He had previously worked as an unarmed security guard at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort in New Braunfels, but was fired after less than six weeks on the job.[35] While he was working at The Summit Vacation and RV Resort, a family who encountered him commented on how "creepy" Kelley had seemed; one member described, "He seemed angry. He seemed annoyed by us, and he seemed like he wanted to exert some authority."[56]

On the night of October 31, less than a week before the shooting, Kelley attended a festival at the First Baptist Church wearing all black. According to two parishioners who were at the festival, he acted so strangely that people had to keep an eye on him. One also examined him to make sure he was not carrying a firearm.[43] According to a former Air Force colleague who temporarily got reacquainted with him online, Kelley claimed he would buy dogs and other animals and use them for "target practice". He also expressed his obsession with mass murders, including the Charleston church shooting, and joked about committing one himself. These comments prompted her to block him on Facebook.[37][57]

Kelley's estranged second wife sometimes attended First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs with her family.[45] Prior to the shooting, he sent threatening text messages to her mother.[15] His wife and her mother were not at the church when the attack occurred, but he killed his wife's grandmother at the church.[15][58]

Anti-religious sentiments

Kelley attended the First Baptist Church in Kingsville, Texas, from May to June 2014 and volunteered as a helper for one day of Vacation Bible School.[59] Later on, he stopped volunteering at the summer Bible class and became vocally anti-religious, posting about atheism online.[60] In social media posts, Kelley often tried to preach his atheism, described people who believe in God as "stupid" (his posts and online hate speech causing numerous former classmates to delete him as a friend on Facebook) and expressed an interest in church shootings.[61][60][62] The shooting has been listed under "Anti-Religious Violence and Hate Crimes" on the Sandy Hook Promise website.[63]

Ability to purchase and carry firearms

In 2012, Kelley purchased two guns (a European American Armory Windicator .38-caliber revolver and a 9mm SIG Sauer P250 pistol) from the HAFB Base Exchange.[64]

Kelley later purchased four guns, including a 9mm Glock 19 pistol, a .22-caliber Ruger SR22 pistol, a Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum revolver and a Ruger AR-556 rifle, at stores in Colorado and Texas between 2014 and 2017.[65] On October 29, a week before the shooting, he posted a photo of what appeared to be a Ruger model AR-556 rifle on his Facebook profile. A Ruger AR-556 rifle was used in the attack, and two handguns were found in Kelley's vehicle.[66]

Kelley purchased the semi-automatic rifle used in the shooting from an Academy Sports + Outdoors store in San Antonio on April 7, 2016.[67] He filled out the required ATF Form 4473 and falsely indicated that he did not have a disqualifying criminal history. In Texas, an FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check is required at the time of purchase for all firearms except for purchasers with a valid license to carry a handgun.[68][69]

The State of Texas denied his application for a license to carry a handgun.[60][67] No license of any kind is required to purchase firearms under Texas state law.[65]

Kelley's general court-martial guilty plea should have made it illegal for him to own, buy, or possess a firearm or ammunition. The conviction should have been flagged by NICS and prevented the purchase.[67][70] Federal law prohibits those convicted of domestic violence‍—‍even if it is only a misdemeanor‍—‍from possessing firearms.[71][72]

However, the Air Force failed to relay the court-martial convictions to the FBI. In a statement admitting the oversight, the Air Force said, "Initial information indicates that Kelley's domestic violence offense was not entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database by the Holloman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations."[73][74] One day after the shooting, the Air Force said it had "launched a review of how the service handled the criminal records of former Airman Devin P. Kelley following his 2012 domestic violence conviction".[73][72] Three days after the shooting, Vice President Mike Pence visited the crime scene, and said, "We will find why this information was not properly recorded in 2012, and we will work with leaders in Congress to ensure that this never happens again."[75]

Aftermath

Lawsuits

In 2018, the family of a couple who were murdered in the shooting filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense, alleging they were negligent in reporting Kelley's criminal history, which would have prevented him from purchasing firearms.[76] In 2021, U.S. district judge Xavier Rodriguez ruled that the federal government's negligence was mostly responsible for the shooting and that it was "jointly and severally liable for the damages that may be awarded."[28] He later awarded damages of more than USD $230 million "to survivors and victims’ families".[77]

Legislation

The shooting brought attention to gaps in reporting to the federal background-check system intended to ban convicted domestic abusers, such as Kelley, from purchasing guns. Since 1996, the Lautenberg Amendment has prohibited the sale of firearms to those convicted of domestic abuse offenses, even misdemeanors, but gaps in reporting continue to exist.[72]

On November 15, 2017, the day nine victims of the shooting were buried, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Fix NICS Act of 2017 (S.2135), to address deficiencies in the reporting process, and impose severe penalties for the failure of agencies to report convictions. The next day, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose district, Texas 28th, includes Sutherland Springs, introduced a version in the House of Representatives (H. R. 4434). Cuellar's bill was superseded by H. R. 4477, introduced by Congressman John Culberson (R-TX), representing Texas' 7th District, including western Houston and Harris County. The final version of the Fix NICS ACT was passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, signed as Pub.L.115-141 by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. A week later, Cornyn met with survivors and victims' families at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs to discuss details of the legislation. Between November 5, 2017, and March 30, 2018, the U. S. Air Force turned over at least 4,000 outstanding records to the FBI.[78]

Church building

After the shooting, the building ceased to function as a church, and was kept as a memorial to the victims. A new church about four times larger was built next door on the same block. Congregation authorities argued the old building was a painful reminder, and voted in 2021 to remove it. Some of the victim's families were against the idea, and they issued a lawsuit to stop the destruction. In early July 2024, a judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt the demo. However, another judge later denied a request to extend that order, setting in motion the demolition. On August 12, 2024, crews began dismantling the building. A member of the community, who was against the demolition, observed, "The devil got his way. That was God's house".[79]

Reactions

Donald Trump, U.S. president at the time, discussing the
shooting at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan

Donald Trump, who was the president of the United States at the time of the shooting, said at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan that "I think that mental health is a problem here. Based on preliminary reports, this was a very deranged individual with a lot of problems over a very long period of time. We have a lot of mental health problems in our country, as do other countries, but this isn't a guns situation ... we could go into it but it's a little bit soon to go into it. Fortunately somebody else had a gun that was shooting in the opposite direction, otherwise it wouldn’t have been as bad as it was, it would have been much worse".[80] Trump was asked about gun policy while visiting Seoul, South Korea. In response to a proposal for extreme vetting of gun ownership, Trump said that this would have made "no difference". He said that stricter gun control measures might have prevented Stephen Willeford from shooting Kelley, and commented, "Instead of having 26 dead, he would've had hundreds more dead."[81][82] After the shooting, Trump issued a presidential proclamation honoring the victims[83] and ordered the United States flag at half-staff at the White House and all public and military sites until the sunset of November 9.[84] Willeford was called a hero for what he did.[85]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the shooting "will be a long, suffering mourning for those in pain". Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton proposed that churches employ professional armed security guards, or at least arm more parishioners, to counter church shootings, which he said have happened "forever" and will again.[86] Paxton was criticized by Manny Garcia, the Texas Democratic Party's deputy executive director, who said that "Texans deserve more from their chief law enforcement official."[87]

Conspiracy theories and harassment of victims' families

Fake news websites and far-right agitators promoted misleading and deceptive stories along with conspiracy theories about the incident.[88][89][90][91] They associated the shooter with a range of people and groups the far-right opposes[89] such as identifying him as a Democrat, Hillary Clinton supporter, Bernie Sanders supporter, alt-left supporter, or radical Muslim;[92][90] or claiming that he carried an antifa flag and told churchgoers, "This is a communist revolution!"[93][94][95] Some reports falsely claimed that he targeted the church because they were "white conservatives".[89] Democratic U.S. Representative Vicente González twice incorrectly named the shooter as Sam Hyde, a comedian who is often jokingly referred to as the perpetrator of various terrorist attacks and mass shootings on social media. González said that he had been given that name by officials.[96]

Conspiracy theories circulated at the hospital where victims were being treated. According to The Washington Post, a group of women who said they knew the victims were overheard discussing the shooting as a false flag operation designed to manipulate the public towards some nefarious end. The Post reporter sought to inquire further, but the women pushed her away, saying, "She [the reporter] is part of it [the conspiracy]," after which the reporter was removed from the hospital by police.[88] The misinformation mirrored similar conspiracy theories of the Las Vegas shooting a few weeks earlier, in which perpetrator Stephen Paddock was falsely linked to leftist and Islamist groups.[89]

In 2018, two conspiracy theorists, Jodi Mann and Robert Ussery, were arrested after accosting the church's pastor, whose daughter was killed in the shooting. Both were charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, and Ussery was also charged with making a terroristic threat and possession of marijuana. Mann and Ussery deny that the massacre occurred and instead promote "false flag" conspiracy notions on the Internet, asserting that the Sutherland Springs attack and other attacks were orchestrated for political purposes.[97]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Medina, Steve Spriester, Mariah (February 6, 2018). "700 rounds in 11 minutes: Sutherland Springs survivor says he's amazed he's alive". KSAT.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Ahmed, Saeed (November 6, 2017). "2 of the 5 deadliest mass shootings in modern US history happened in the last 35 days". CNN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. ^ Weill, Kelly (November 5, 2017). "Deadliest Church Shooting in American History Kills at Least 26". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Koubaridis, Andrew (November 7, 2017). "From the first deadly shot until the last — how the Texas church shooting unfolded". news.com.au. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Andone, Dakin; Hartung, Kaylee; Simon, Darran (November 6, 2017). "At least 26 people killed in shooting at Texas church". CNN. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Cullen, Terence (November 7, 2017). "Survivors of Texas massacre recall moment gunman entered church". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "'Everybody dies, motherf—–!': Sick Texas church killer Devin Kelley checked aisles for crying babies". Toronto Sun. November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  8. ^ Weber, Paul J.; Schmall, Emily; Vertuno, Jim (November 8, 2017). "Carnage at small-town Texas church claimed 8 children". Chicago Tribune. AP. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  9. ^ Winkle, Kate; Bien, Calily (November 6, 2017). "15 empty magazines found at Sutherland Springs church massacre". Austin, Texas: KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  10. ^ Villalpando, Rob; Wilson, Mark D.; Plohetski, Tony; Autullo, Ryan; Bridges, John; Hall, Katie (November 7, 2017). "Hundreds of shell casings, 15 empty magazines found at church". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Goldman, Adam; Pérez-Peña, Richard; Fernández, Manny (November 8, 2017). "Texas Church Shooting Video Shows Gunman's Methodical Attack, Official Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  12. ^ Jenkins, Aric (November 6, 2017). "'I'm Not a Hero': Man Who Shot and Chased Texas Church Gunman Shares Story". Time. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  13. ^ Pearce, Matt; Savage, John; Adrawal, Nina (November 6, 2017). "In Texas, a good guy with a gun took on a bad guy with a gun, feeding both sides of the gun control debate". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  14. ^ Toppo, Greg (November 6, 2017). "Sutherland Springs: Who was suspected church shooter Devin Kelley?". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d "Texas shooting: Gunman Devin Kelley 'had row with mother-in-law'". BBC News. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Swenson, Kyle; Eltagouri, Marwa (November 6, 2017). "An unlikely hero describes gun battle and 95-mph pursuit of Texas shooting suspect". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (November 7, 2017). "Strangers Who Stopped Texas Shooter Share Emotional Embrace at Vigil Held for Massacre Victims". People. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  18. ^ Dexheimer, Eric; Autullo, Ryan (November 6, 2017). "Meet the two men who chased the gunman in Sutherland Springs shootings". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  19. ^ Ahmed, Saeed; Criss, Doug; Sterling, Joe (November 7, 2017). "'Hero' exchanged fire with gunman, then helped chase him down". WRAL.com. CNN.
  20. ^ a b "Sutherland Springs gunman's wife says he bound her to the bed using rope, handcuffs and tape as their son cried before carrying out mass murder". The San Diego Union-Tribune. AP. August 12, 2018. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Danner, Chas (November 5, 2017). "26 Dead After Mass Shooting at South Texas Church" (Intelligencer). New York. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Montgomery, David; Mele, Christopher; Fernandez, Manny (November 5, 2017). "Gunman Kills at Least 26 in Attack on Rural Texas Church". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  23. ^ Yan, Holly; Stapleton, AnneClaire; Simon, Darran (November 6, 2017). "Authorities: Texas church shooter had three gunshot wounds". CNN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  24. ^ "Rifle, handguns linked to gunman in Texas church shooting". Fox News Channel. AP. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  25. ^ "Full list of victims in Sutherland Springs church massacre released". CBS Austin. Jerrod Kingery. November 8, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  26. ^ a b c "Sutherland Springs: Texas church shooting leaves 26 dead". BBC News. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  27. ^ Gutierrez, Gabe; Atencio, Mariana; Chuck, Elizabeth; Abdelkader, Rima; Walters, Shamar (November 6, 2017). "About Half of the Texas Church Shooting Victims Were Children". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  28. ^ a b Killough, Ashley; LeBlanc, Paul (July 7, 2021). "Federal judge largely faults Air Force for 2017 Texas church shooting". CNN. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  29. ^ Kovaleski, Serge F. (November 22, 2017). "The Day the Pastor Was Away and Evil Came Barging Into His Church". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  30. ^ Keneally, Meghan; Delmoro, Michael (November 5, 2017). "14-year-old daughter of pastor among victims in Texas church shooting, father says". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  31. ^ "Texas Shooting Death Toll Includes Unborn Child". Sacramento, California: KTXL. AP. November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  32. ^ "Sutherland Springs survivors haunted by an AR-15's carnage, trauma". The Washington Post.
  33. ^ "Texas officials: Mass shooting not motivated by religion or race". WREG-TV. Memphis, Tennessee. AP. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  34. ^ "Report of Investigation into the United States Air Force's Failure to Submit Devin Kelley's Criminal History Information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Report No. DODIG-2019-030)" (PDF). U.S. Department of Defense. December 6, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  35. ^ a b c Bradshaw, Kelsey (November 6, 2017). "Sutherland Springs church shooter went to New Braunfels High School, worked at Schlitterbahn and HEB". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  36. ^ Rosenfeld, Everett; David, Javier E. (November 5, 2017). "Authorities identify gunman in the Texas church massacre". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  37. ^ a b c d Rosenberg, Eli (November 12, 2017). "Texas gunman's ex-wife said he once put a gun to her head and asked, 'Do you want to die?'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  38. ^ a b Wilts, Alexandra (November 6, 2017). "The Texas shooter 'preached atheism' and was an outcast, say former classmates". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  39. ^ a b Barnitz, Katy (November 5, 2017). "NM court documents detail Devin Kelley's divorce". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  40. ^ "Texas church gunman's ex-wife tells Inside Edition: He just had a lot of demons". San Antonio Express-News. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  41. ^ a b c Connor, Tracy; Arkin, Daniel (November 7, 2017). "Texas Gunman Devin Kelley Escaped from Mental Health Facility in 2012". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  42. ^ a b Diaz, Mario; Tatom, Cathy; Wische, Aaron (November 7, 2017). "Sutherland Springs church shooter escaped mental health facility months after attack on wife, child". Houston, Texas: KPRC-TV. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  43. ^ a b "Texas gunman Devin Kelley's ex-wife says he 'had a lot of demons'". CBS News. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  44. ^ Losey, Stephen; Vertuno, Jim (November 5, 2017). "Texas church attacker identified as former airman Devin Kelley". Army Times. AP. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  45. ^ a b c d e Blinder, Alan; Philipps, Dave; Oppel, Richard A. Jr. (November 6, 2017). "Texas Gunman Broke Child's Skull, Assaulted Wife, in Troubled Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  46. ^ Sterling, Joe (November 11, 2017). "Texas shooter's ex-wife: 'Demons ... hatred' consumed him". CNN. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  47. ^ Tedesco, John; Contreras, Guillermo; Christenson, Sig (November 5, 2017). "Suspected gunman Devin Patrick Kelley lived near New Braunfels, had been court martialed in the Air Force". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  48. ^ Winter, Jana; Weill, Kelly; Bertness, Sarah (November 5, 2017). "Devin Patrick Kelley ID'd as Sutherland Springs Church Killer". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  49. ^ Medina, Mariah (November 5, 2017). "Here's everything we know about the Sutherland Springs church shooting". San Antonio, Texas: KSAT-TV. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  50. ^ Merchant, Nomaan (March 19, 2018). "Sheriff didn't pursue sex case against Texas church gunman". NBC 5 Dallas. AP. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  51. ^ a b Eaton, Emilie (February 16, 2018). "Comal County authorities didn't charge Sutherland Springs gunman with rape, even though the victim described brutal attack". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  52. ^ a b Carissimo, Justin; Martinez, Peter (November 6, 2017). "Devin Patrick Kelley: What we know about the Texas church shooting suspect". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  53. ^ a b Mitchell, Kirk (November 6, 2017). "Gunman who killed 26 people in Texas cited for cruelty to animals in Colorado". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  54. ^ Moravec, Eva Ruth; Berman, Mark (November 21, 2017). "Texas church gunman lied about past to become a security guard, records show". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  55. ^ Tedesco, John; Contreras, Guillermo; Christenson, Sig (November 5, 2017). "Church gunman was kicked out of Air Force, convicted of domestic violence". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  56. ^ Yan, Holly; Stapleton, AnneClaire (November 8, 2017). "Texas church gunman 'seemed miserable' as a security guard last week". CNN. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  57. ^ Silva, Christianna (November 9, 2017). "Texas Church Shooter Devin Kelley Said He Used Dogs As 'Target Practice'". Newsweek. Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  58. ^ Dillon, Nancy (November 6, 2017). "Texas gunman killed his wife's grandmother in church shooting". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  59. ^ Munson, Jonathan; Churchwell, Bill (November 6, 2017). "Gunman volunteered one night at church in Kingsville". WBIR-TV. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  60. ^ a b c "Who was Sutherland Springs gunman Devin Patrick Kelley?". BBC News. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  61. ^ Watson, Leon (November 6, 2017). "Have-a-go-heroes shot Sutherland Springs gunman and helped prevent further victims". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  62. ^ Wilts, Alexandra (November 6, 2017). "The Texas shooter 'preached atheism' and was an outcast, say former classmates". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  63. ^ "Gun Violence Facts About Anti-Religious Violence and Hate Crimes". sandyhookpromise.org.
  64. ^ McAllastar, Seamus (December 8, 2018). "Air Force Failed to Forward Gunman's Fingerprints 4 Times: IG". React Gear Tactical. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  65. ^ a b Willingham, AJ (November 6, 2017). "Church shooter's history puts a spotlight on Texas gun laws". CNN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  66. ^ Grinberg, Emanuella; McLaughlin, Eliott C. (November 6, 2017). "Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley's troubled past emerges". CNN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  67. ^ a b c "Texas church shooting suspect Devin Kelley denied gun license, governor says". CNN. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017 – via WGN-TV.
  68. ^ Ward, Mike; Diaz, Kevin (November 6, 2017). "Air Force mistake allowed church shooter to buy guns". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  69. ^ "Permanent Brady Permit Chart". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  70. ^ Tinsley, Anna M. (November 6, 2017). "Church shooter had four guns, but no license to carry them in Texas". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  71. ^ "Texas church shooting: How was Devin Patrick Kelley discharged from the Air Force?". CBS News. November 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017. Federal law prohibits those who have been dishonorably discharged from buying a firearm, but the law does not include a blanket prohibition on those who have received a bad conduct discharge. However, certain types of bad conduct discharges can stem from cases that would bar defendants from purchasing firearms. Texas and federal laws prohibit those with domestic violence convictions from owning, possessing or purchasing firearms. The military is supposed to report to the FBI, for the purposes of prohibiting firearm purchases, convictions on domestic violence charges, as well as convictions that carry maximum potential sentences of more than a year in confinement. It is unclear if the FBI was notified about Kelley's case, which fit both conditions.
  72. ^ a b c Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (November 6, 2017). "Domestic Abusers Are Barred From Gun Ownership, but Often Escape the Law". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  73. ^ a b Montgomery, David; Oppel, Richard A. Jr.; Delreal, Jose A. (November 6, 2017). "Air Force Error Allowed Texas Gunman to Buy Weapons". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  74. ^ Cohen, Zachary; Browne, Ryan (November 6, 2017). "Air Force failed to relay info that could have stopped firearm sale to gunman". CNN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  75. ^ Pearce, Matt; Kohli, Sonali (November 8, 2017). "Pence says Air Force 'moving aggressively' to find out how Texas killer's conviction slipped through the cracks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  76. ^ Lee, Steffi (March 6, 2018). "Family of couple killed in Texas church shooting files claim against Air Force, DOD". KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  77. ^ "Air Force ordered to pay more than $230M in Texas church shooting". February 8, 2022.
  78. ^ Beckett, Lois (February 13, 2018). "Military added 4,000 veterans to gun ban list after Texas church shooting". the Guardian. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  79. ^ Figueroa, Fernanda (August 12, 2024). "Plans to demolish Texas church where gunman opened fire in 2017 draw visitors back to sanctuary". Associated Press. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  80. ^ McCurry, Justin; Beckett, Lois; Dart, Tom (November 6, 2017). "'This isn't a guns situation', says Trump after Texas church shooting". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  81. ^ Bennett, Brian (November 7, 2017). "Trump: 'Hundreds more' would have died in Texas shooting if there was more vetting for gun buyers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  82. ^ Diamond, Jeremy (November 7, 2017). "Trump dismisses question on extreme vetting for gun ownership". CNN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  83. ^ "Presidential Proclamation Honoring the Victims of the Sutherland Springs, Texas Shooting". whitehouse.gov. November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017 – via National Archives.
  84. ^ Feldscher, Kyle (November 5, 2017). "Trump orders flags flown at half-staff for Texas church shooting victims". The Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  85. ^ "'Hero' exchanged fire with gunman, then helped chase him down". CNN. November 7, 2017.
  86. ^ Beckett, Lois (November 6, 2017). "Texas attorney general: congregations should be armed after church shooting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  87. ^ Knodel, Jamie; Gillman, Todd J. (November 6, 2017). "Critics hit Paxton for encouraging churchgoers to bring firearms". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  88. ^ a b Selk, Avi; Grant, Mary Lee (November 6, 2017). "A fake shooter and 'false flag' rumors at the hospital — how dark online hoaxes came to Texas". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  89. ^ a b c d Griffin, Andrew (November 6, 2017). "Texas shooting: US far-right try to spread conspiracy theories about motive behind church murders". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  90. ^ a b Ansari, Talal (November 5, 2017). "Here Is The Misinformation Going Around About The Texas Church Shooting". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  91. ^ Sheffield, Matthew (November 7, 2017). "Far right concocts fake news about Texas church shooter". Salon. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  92. ^ "Google shared conspiracy theories that sought to tie Texas shooter to antifa movement". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  93. ^ Mikkelson, David (November 5, 2017). "Was the Texas Church Shooter an Antifa Member Who Vowed to Start Civil War?". Snopes.com. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  94. ^ Hayden, Michael Edison (November 5, 2017). "'Antifa' Responsible for Sutherland Springs Murders, According to Far-Right media". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  95. ^ Gillin, Joshua (November 6, 2017). "Fake news: No proof Antifa, communism compelled Texas shooter Devin Kelley". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  96. ^ Stelloh, Tim (November 6, 2017). "Hoaxes and false information proliferated after Texas church shooting". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  97. ^ Flynn, Meagan (March 8, 2018). "Conspiracy theorists harass Sutherland Springs churchgoers, pastor whose daughter was killed". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.Wik.ipedia.Pro.org/w/index.php?title=Sutherland_Springs_church_shooting&oldid=1262841664"

See what we do next...

OR

By submitting your email or phone number, you're giving mschf permission to send you email and/or recurring marketing texts. Data rates may apply. Text stop to cancel, help for help.

Success: You're subscribed now !