President Trump sent his condolences to the families of the Sunday attack on a Texas church and praised the quick-thinking parishioners who sprang into action to stop the shooter.
“Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday’s church attack,” Trump said Monday evening on Twitter. “It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!”
Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday’s church attack. It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Two victims, 64-year-old Anton Wallace and 67-year-old Richard White, were killed in the incident at West Freeway Church of Christ, along with the shooter. The attacker, identified as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, was stopped by Jack Wilson, 71, the head of security for the church, who was able to shoot and kill the gunman with one shot. Several other parishioners readied their handguns when the gunfire started. A recently passed state law allows people to carry firearms into places of worship.
“My understanding is, he was a reserve deputy and had significant training, had his own shooting range, had taught other people how to shoot, had taught many people in this church how to be prepared,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said about Wilson. “He’s not just responsible for his actions, which ultimately saved the lives of maybe hundreds of people, but he’s also responsible for training hundreds in that church.”
The church shooting followed a Saturday night attack that targeted Orthodox Jews in New York. Five people were injured in the attack by a man wielding a machete. A suspect now faces five counts of attempted murder, burglary, and hate crime charges.
