Twenty-six people are dead and 20 others are injured after a man wearing all black and a bulletproof vest used a semi-automatic rifle to shoot up a southeastern Texas church Sunday.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect — who is reported to be named Devin Patrick Kelley, a 26-year-old Texas man — was seen about 11:30 a.m. at a gas station near First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. He left the gas station and drove toward the church.
Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said Kelley got out of his car and opened fire at the outside of the church.
“That suspect then moved to the right side of the church and then continued to fire. That suspect entered the church and continued to fire,” Martin said.
Martin said a local resident heard the gunshots and got his own rifle and began firing at Kelley while he shot at worshippers.
The shots caused Kelley to drop his Rueger AR semi-automatic rifle and flee from the church, and the resident pursued him.
Kelley got back into his vehicle and drove away, but eventually crashed his vehicle near the county line. Martin said police responding to the crash found him dead in the vehicle. It’s not clear if the fatal wound came from the shootout with the local resident or if it was self-inflicted, he said.
While multiple reports indicate Kelley is the shooter, Martin refused to identify him immediately Sunday.
“He was dressed in all black, tactical type gear and was wearing a ballistic vest,” Martin said. “The delay in getting him identified is there were multiple weapons in the vehicle and the vehicle has been processed by our Texas Ranger special operations group bomb techs.”
Martin said 23 people were found dead inside the church, two were found dead outside the church and one victim who was taken to the hospital has died.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the incident is the largest mass shooting in Texas history.
“As a state, we are dealing with the largest mass shooting in our state’s history. There’s so many families who have lost family members. Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters,” he said. “The tragedy, of course, is worsened by the fact that it occurred in a church, a place of worship, where these people were innocently gunned down. We mourn their loss, but we support their family members.”
Martin added about 20 people are in hospitals in San Antonio being treated for injuries that range from minor to “very severe.”
