Breaking: At Least 27 People Dead in Texas Church Shooting, Dozens Wounded UPDATE: Shooter Identified
Shooter dead, motive not yet known
This is a developing story, so reports vary at this time.
A shooting this morning at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas has left at least 27 people dead and over two dozen more wounded. The shooter was reportedly killed by police following a brief chase.
The mass shooting was reported at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, which is about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio. The gunman has been fatally shot by police.
Wilson County Commissioner Larry Wiley told Fox News that an emergency responder said between 20 and 24 people are dead, and around 20 were wounded when a man walked into the church about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire at the crowd of people.
. . . . The church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, said his 14-year-old daughter was killing in the shooting, according to ABC News.
“We have accepted a multiple number of patients from the shooting,” Megan Posey, a spokeswoman for Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville, 15 miles from church, told Fox News. She said she did not have a specific number. She said doctors were assessing the patients.
Some victims were transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, KSAT reported.
Helicopters and emergency personnel were seen arriving at the scene. The FBI is also on scene.
The gunman, according to Wiley, was killed roughly five miles away in Guadalupe County after being cornered by deputies.
FBI just arrived on the scene. The scene is getting pushed back. pic.twitter.com/vyIyNPZHou
— KSAT Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017
Watch the report:
Authorities reported 27 died and 30 were injured during a shooting Sunday at a First Baptist Church in a small rural community in Texas. The shooter was also dead.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office reported about 57 church goers in the town of about 600 were shot in the church at 216 40th St., in Sutherland Springs, according to Texan authorities.
“To have such a violent act occur in a place of worship magnifies the pain,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement.
The FBI’s San Antonio field office and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency responded to the church about 40 miles east of Downtown San Antonio. Texas rangers were also assisting deputies with the investigation.
Outside of the church there were relatives in tears praying next to a car and dozens of residents were waiting for updates in an area outside of the yellow crime scene tape. Members of the neighboring River Oaks Church responded to support their neighbors with prayer and food.
27 dead and at least 30 injured https://t.co/f00ABmcVRA
— KSAT Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017
ABC News is also reporting that 27 are confirmed dead.
Families in tears wait to see if their family and friends are safe. Praying for the safety of all those involved. pic.twitter.com/yjzK7lZJ1S
— KSAT Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017
People are gathering at the Community Building learning what they can about their family and friends. Heartbreaking news and tears. pic.twitter.com/Rj55JKtTmG
— KSAT Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017
President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott were among those who tweeted about the horrific incident.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/927265906086031363?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act. Our thanks to law enforcement for their response. More details from DPS soon. https://t.co/KMCRmOPkiM
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 5, 2017
As of this writing, Governor Abbott is on his way to Sutherland Springs.
I’m in route to #SutherlandSprings to meet with families, local, state & federal officials, and a public briefing to follow. #txlege
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 5, 2017
We will bring you updates as we learn more.
UPDATE:
[FS] The shooter has been identified as Devin Patrick Kelley. [h/t LI reader rabid wombat]
JUST IN: Suspect in Texas church shooting has been identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, sources tell CBS News https://t.co/iB6zuuPslE pic.twitter.com/gimMKQa17p
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 5, 2017
Officials have identified the suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at a Texas church as Devin Patrick Kelley, SBG San Antonio has confirmed.
The 26-year-old is accused of opening fire in a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, killing at least 20 and injuring at least 10.
Kelley is a former U.S. Air Force member who served from 2010 to 2014, CBS News reports.
According to CBS, he received a dishonorable discharge and was court martialed in May 2014.
Mediaite has unconfirmed information about Kelley.
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i see it didn’t take long for the ghouls to pounce.
Daily Mail is reporting the name of the shooter:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5052163/Up-27-shot-Texas-church-gunman-opens-fire.html#ixzz4xav6leX0
“Devin Patrick Kelley has identified by local officials as the shooter who opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where around 50 people usually attend service, according to local reports.
Kelley, 26, of New Braunfels, a suburb of San Antonio, was shot dead as he fled the scene although it’s not yet clear if the gunshot was from the police or self-inflicted. He was reportedly married. “
For the community, this stinks in all kinds of ways. Prayers to all.
Thanks rabid wombat! I saw this earlier, but it was unconfirmed. I’ll update now. 🙂
Though he’s >10,000 miles away on his five-Asian-country tour we all know who’s responsible for this.
I was thinking Kelley, Visa Irish….Chuck Schumer backlash, but it is Texas. It is sad news and the gun control idiots will be out like crazy. My guessing is he went off on his meds.
Too bad one of his associates did not question him. Anyone posting guns on their facebook or tweeter sites should be suspect.
Prays coming my way to Texas.
While it may not be circumspect, there is nothing wrong with posting pictures of firearms (second amendment, ya know). Should people who post pictures of their cars be suspect?
Was in the military, not honorably discharged, don’t know specifics…
USAF, dishonorable discharge for unspecified reasons, denied an appeal in March of 2014.
He was not legally allowed to even own a firearm.
It turns out the discharge was a bad conduct discharge with confinement of one year or less. So it was not a dishonorable discharge. Although it is my understanding that the charges were a domestic abuse charge, so in my world view that should disqualify him as well.
If it was a dishonorable discharge he would ineligible to own firearms.
It turns out the discharge was a bad conduct discharge with confinement of one year or less. So it was not a dishonorable discharge. Although it is my understanding that the charges were a domestic abuse charge, so in my world view that should disqualify him as well.
Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 for two counts of assault on his spouse and assault on their child, He received a bad conduct discharge and confinement for 12 months.
Sounds like misdemeanor domestic abuse to me, that is absolutely a disqualification.
Only if the Big Chicken Dinner carried a sentence of one year and one day. Probated, whatevs.
Shooter identified as an “Antifa”
By whom? Some random person on Twitter? I can just as easily “identify” him as your boyfriend, or as DJT’s secret boyfriend, or as the true heir to the Throne of France. Why would you give any credence to something like that, with no reason in the world to suppose it true? Why not wait for actual, you know, evidence to emerge? Sheesh.
Supposedly from his Facebook
Again, supposedly by whom? What kind of idiot repeats whatever he hears some random person claim, without having any reason to suppose that it might possibly be true?
Weaselzippers has a nice summary of what was on his social media feed before this happened.
https://www.weaselzippers.us/363065-breaking-devin-patrick-kelley-has-been-identified-as-texas-church-shooter/
None of which confirms Neo’s babbling. Seriously, how can you defend him? How can you condone such irresponsible and downright stupid behavior? How can anyone? Throwing out utterly unfounded speculation just because someone, somewhere, said it first? Might as well blame Sam Hyde, as that idiot Gonzalez did. Anyone who (justly) makes fun of Gonzalez must make equal fun of Neo and his supporters.
Whatever happened to waiting for confirmed facts before forming any opinions?
If you want to see an idiot, just go look in the mirror.
Only if it’s got your picture attached to it. Moderators, why are you allowing Neo to pollute the thread with this dangerous idiocy?
Stuff it
I guess your missed that I left the statement sufficiently ambiguous to be true.
Had I stated that the Texas Rangers had done the identification, it would not have been in correct.
Had I stated that God had send down tablets from Mt Sinai with the identification, it would have been blasphemy.
But as it stands … it is correct.
If this somehow offends you … too bad.
?
https://mobile.twitter.com/StockMonsterUSA/status/927312112061358080
It appears that a good guy with a gun engaged the shooter and he fled. Don’t expect that detail to get much attention from the lefties while they call for the seizure of all guns.
I saw that report. It sounded like a church attendee went to his own vehicle to get his own rifle, confronted the shooter, and then chased him. Well done. Naturally, he didn’t have the rifle in the church, which is why the shooter was able to kill so many before being stopped.
I wrote this afternoon to a member of my own church who is knowledgeable as to whether concealed carry permit holders can bring their weapons to church. Apparently they can take their weapons anywhere so long as there is not a “no weapons” posting on the site. As we don’t have such, I can feel a trifle safer on Sunday morning if my friend is there.
The link on the report that a local resident stopped the rampage. It doesn’t say it was a church member; I assumed that, but it doesn’t say so.
http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/05/texas-gun-owner-stopped-church-shooting-rampage/
Multiple reports refer to a ‘local’
It’s not at all clear from that report whether the local who stopped it was a gun owner. The wording is ambiguous, and there’s no way to tell whose rifle the local grabbed — his own or the shooter’s. The former is merely the DC reporter’s assumption.
Just how do we know you are really Milhouse ?
There is no ‘blue check’ next to your name.
You know I’m the person who comments here as Milhouse because the site is password-protected. Beyond that you know nothing, so if I were to make some random factual assertion, such as that this shooter was an ex-lover of the church pastor, you would be an idiot to repeat it as if there were some reason to suppose it to be true.
… but you have no ‘blue check’ … and mine goes to 11
What blue check? What the **** is a blue check anyway? There’s no such thing on this site, and you certainly don’t have one. Go take a long walk off a short pier and stop polluting this site with your presence.
I’m not sure, but it seems Neo is referring to the “blue check” on verified Twitter accounts. It’s actually a white check against a blue background, so this may not be what Neo means. Either way, I’m not sure what a “blue check” has to do with LI.
I’m just sorry that your little mind can’t comprehend.
Check your meds.
http://www.kens5.com/news/local/witness-describes-seeing-church-shooter-flee-church/489320049
And your point is? The DC report did not cite this interview, and was not in any way based on it, so how is it relevant?
My point ? You are one sick dude.
Seek mental health professionals immediately.
Only if you’re functionally illiterate.
Kelley of New Braunfels, a suburb of San Antonio, was shot by Stephen Willeford, 55, before he climbed in an SUV to flee the scene, a local resident told DailyMail.com.
Another local resident, Johnnie Langendorff, who had witnessed the confrontation refused to let the shooter get away. Both he and Willeford, a local plumber, jumped in his truck and gave chase.
In a Facebook post, Langendorff’s girlfriend Summer Caddel described how the pair had ‘jumped in my boyfriend’s truck and they chased that sick b*****d down in pursuit until the cops could catch up. He was able to run the shooter off of the road on 539!’
As they approached a sharp curve in the road, near the 307 and 539, Kelley appeared to lose control and his car swerved off the road.
Kelley was already dead when they found him. It’s unclear if he committed suicide or died from his pursuers’ gunshots.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5053013/Devin-Kelley-outcast-preached-atheism.html
Give it a rest Mulhouse
It was a neighbor near the church , the monster was shooting at people outside prior to going in and this guy ran into his house, maybe car, got his gun and shot the SOB and when the police found that SOB, he was dead already from the gunshot from the hero that shot the SOB…
Give what a rest. The DC story was not based on any of the information you cited from some other source. It was based solely on an ambiguously worded statement which could just as easily have meant that the bystander grabbed the shooter’s rifle. There was nothing to justify the DC reporter’s assumption, based on his own preconceptions, that the reference was to someone who grabbed his own rifle and shot at the shooter. The fact that this ultimately turned out to be what happened does not justify the reporter making a guess. If he had information justifying it it was his responsibility to cite it.
There were those reports of Milhouse losing his mind before he went on a rampage and …
Again, what reports. Only an idiot repeats whatever random nonsense he hears from people who are no more informed than he is.
There were this strange postings on Legal Insurrection.
Everybody give it a rest.
there are reports he was a volunteer Sunday School teacher, working with children. BSA, childcare centers, GSA, and any other organization I know does background checks on volunteers working with children. A DD, which is a felony conviction, would red flag in such a check.
And- since he wasn’t legally allowed to purchase weapons, and NICS would show that. So- who bought his gun for him? Whoever did so is as culpable as he is for the killings. Maybe not legally so, but still just as culpable.
You’re presuming they did a BG check and used the info. Orgs- especially Christian ones can be stupid in this regard.
If Neo’s link is correct on the antifa claim, I expect the media to drop this story faster than a lit firecracker.
These stories sure make you think twice about leaving home without 1 hip heavy.
Sorry but always a red flag for me, men working with children…
So your mom coached your football and baseball teams? That’s about the damn dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
Actually it’s not, statistically proven that perverts go where the kids are. Many coaches, teachers, daycare workers , higher percentage of them men, do these activities to be close to their victims
It is what it is
I have been waiting for this since Vegas. There is no question in my mind that the leading cause is the media giving these copy cats 24/7 coverage for weeks. Seriously a ban on the media coverage would do a lot more good than a ban on firearms.
Exactly. I’ve been saying that for at least 15 years; if you want to put a dent in these incidents, and you’re willing to sacrifice the Bill of Rights in order to do so, why not start with the First? A total ban on reporting these nutcases’ names would go a long way to discouraging them.
And of course if someone seriously believes that saving lives is more important than the Bill of Rights then it should be obvious that we can save lots of lives by gutting the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments. The people who adopted these amendments must have understood that they would inevitably cost innocent lives; by adopting them anyway they expressed their opinion that those deaths are a price worth paying for liberty.
No banning media coverage. People want to know. But I have grown very tired of seeing the Las Vegas shooter’s face and name. Referring to him most of the time as “the shooter” and not splashing his photo all over might help.
I’m already tired of seeing the Texas shooter’s face.
I don’t care that people want to know. Satisfying people’s curiosity is not more important than saving lives. Every time one of these nutcases’ names is published increases the attraction to other nutcases of doing this sort of thing.
What is more important than saving lives is liberty. So although I think news editors ought to censor themselves and not publish these stories, just as they do by not publishing suicide stories, if they won’t have the decency to do it themselves the government should not force it on them. If that means more people die, then more people die. Life is not so dear, nor peace so sweet, etc.
I don’t care that people want to know. Satisfying people’s curiosity is not more important than saving lives. Every time one of these nutcases’ names is published increases the attraction to other nutcases of doing this sort of thing.
What is more important than saving lives is liberty. So although I think news editors ought to censor themselves and not publish these stories, just as they do by not publishing suicide stories, if they won’t have the decency to do it themselves the government should not force it on them. If that means more people die, then more people die. Life is not so dear, nor peace so sweet, etc.
There’s only one way to stop psycho loser and/or Islamist terrorism: allow honest Americans to carry arms.
And that’ll be that.
Honest Texans are allowed to carry arms, and it didn’t prevent this from happening. Having armed citizens around helps, it’s certainly better than the alternative, but it’s not a panacæa.
Wrong, as usual. Amazing.
“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: More Conceal Carry Guns Would Stop Mass Shootings:”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-more-conceal-carry-guns-would-stop-mass-shootings-2
And yet in this case it didn’t. Armed citizens will never stop 100% of these incidents, just as seat belts don’t prevent 100% of road deaths, and vaccination doesn’t stop 100% of disease. There are no panacæas.
Millhouse, like most states there are places where you cannot carry even with a permit. Churches in TX are one such place where carry is prohibited (yes, even if the church says it’s ok, though now I’m sure that’s going to be revisited).
Here in GA, carry by permit-holders was only recently allowed by law; the only restriction comes from the church.
Texans are allowed to carry in church unless the church posts two very precisely defined signs, one for concealed and one for open carry, forbidding it.
I was just about to correct myself!
I saw that after looking around, though what I found was a bunch of TX carry forum members saying ‘You can’t carry in church’ … ‘Can so’ … ‘Nuh uhn’ … ‘Can so’ … you get the idea.
Even among those who could accurately quote the relevant law there seemed to be some disagreement.
And what piece of intelligence do you base your opinion on? You have a tendency to point out other people’s comments are, based on their opinion or something that they have read, not being “Proven”. If only 10% of the church members had been carrying guns is there any doubt that the carnage would have been much less? It seems as if you love to nitpick other’s comments for no value to the rest of us. I suggest that you only make comments about the topic and leave the rest of us and our comments alone.
On the indisputable fact that this happened. That fact, which you have no right to dispute, utterly refutes FineReport’s stupid claim.
Honest Texans are allowed to carry arms, even in church, and yet that was not that. It didn’t stop this psycho loser’s and/or Islamist’s terrorism. That is a fact. Therefore FineReport is wrong. Having armed citizens around helps, it’s certainly better than the alternative, but it is not a panacæa. The sad truth is that panacæas simply don’t exist, and only an idiot like FineReport or you would claim they do.
There is NOTHING which will prevent human beings from attacking other human beings, for a variety of reasons. So, all one is left with is self defense. And, for that, the most effective personal defensive weapon is the modern firearm and sufficient training to use it efficiently.
Now, Texas is pretty liberal in its requirements for public carry of defensive firearms. But, just as the person who refuses to wear a seat belt while riding in a car, if one does not take advantage of the ability to carry a defensive weapon, then one has to accept part of the blame for any injury he suffers from attack.
Texas is pretty liberal in its requirements for public carry of defensive firearms
The Great State of Texas didn’t learn its lesson after Luby’s Cafeteria, and the citizenry is paying the price to this day. Texas legislators and bureaucrats are basically as dumb, stubborn, and selfish as anybody else.
Perhaps we should replace the stars on the national flag with little embroidered portraits of Homer Simpson. Just to remind us all of just how persistently stupid state governments are.
What are you talking about?
Mac45, exactly. You are 100% right. Now contrast what you wrote with the idiot FineReport’s stupid claim.
Whoever has editing rights here, could you please delete Neo’s rantings? He’s seriously making this site into a sewer with completely unfounded speculations and personal abuse.
Roger. We’re getting right on it.
Says the kettle.
“Honest Texans are allowed to carry arms…”
Yes, they are.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/general-regulations/means-and-methods
“Possession of Firearms by Felons
A convicted felon, regardless of where the conviction occurred, may not possess or use a firearm (as defined by Penal Code, §46.01) to hunt in this state. Under Penal Code, §46.01, a muzzleloading firearm is lawful if it is an antique or curio firearm manufactured before 1899 or a replica of an antique or curio firearm manufactured before 1899 that does not use rimfire or centerfire ammunition.”
It goes on to say that the curio or antique can not be a revolver.
I don’t know how much sleep any of you have lost over some ex-con going hunting with a Brown Bess, but I’ve lost exactly zero.
So let me see if Ive got this right. Trump, rightly, pointing out that Chucky Schemer OWNS the diversity visa debacle is evidence of him politicising an event for his own evil political ends YET every single god damn democrat now dancing on the graves of these 27 people to further their gun control agenda ISNT examples of politicians politicising an event for their own political ends??
Fuck the media!
Very interesting comments. I enjoyed reading all of them. Thank you.
I know a guy who did five years for a drug conviction. About 20 years ago. And he has since rehabilitated himself. That’s not my opinion, that’s the administrative law judge. Who let him become a mortgage broker agent.
No. It’s not me.
I definitely believe people can change. Good for him.
Brought to you by another one of Trump’s very fine people.
Really? And you know this how? Oh, it’s our resident black supremacist, m1. Never mind.
Speculation has been flying in all kinds of directions, and some large argufying based on assumptions grounded in flatly contradictory news reports further bundled with speculation.
I’m not drawing any conclusions about what exactly happened until this settles down.
Exactly. I don’t understand why, in the absence of facts, some people insist on making up random speculations, and repeating rumors with absolutely no foundation, instead of just waiting however long it takes for the facts to come in. Even the initial reports from the news media are almost never correct, let alone what some stoned person on Twitter imagines.
This is the internet.
Everything on the internet is wild speculation.
To wait for the ‘facts’ is to know yesterday.
And there is the confession of someone who is not only ignorant but proud of his ignorance, and is therefore a waste of oxygen.
Yesterday is all we can ever know, and that only if we’re lucky. Not to wait for the facts is to know nothing at all.
Ahh Yes…..The internet.
It’s the place people go for information…but the reality is,
It’s the place people go for TONS of misinformation…Oh…and porn.
Many people will be running around trying to use this incident to advance their own agendas. The bottom line is that these things happen and have been happening since the dawn of time. That is the reason why the human race developed weaponry.
No place is 100% safe. Anyplace can be breached and harm done to those within. But, people can make it harder for such things to occur. All it takes is the right mindset and training.
The world hasn’t really changed since the days of Leave IT To Beaver, it is simply beginning to intrude on the worldview of ordinary Americans. The world is a dangerous place and their are violent actors who wish to harm others. This makes it incumbent upon people to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their friends. Things like churches are pretty easy to defend against attack, if you can stop the attacker from entering the building. Discreetly armed security outside the building works pretty well, as we have seen in the past. Heavy concrete planters and fencing drastically reduce the danger from vehicular attacks. But, the first thing that has to be done is that the potential threat has to be recognized.
Per Robert Heinlein…”an armed society is a polite society”… and may I add.. a safer one. Interesting viewpoints… Fox News called the locals who shot and ran the murderer to ground were “vigilantes” while in the news conference 8.11.17 the police called them “good Samaritans”. There are times when calling 911 is not the immediate option.
I largely call the USAF the chair force. and for the most part it’s true. But nobody trains harder than the PJs. And then there are the Combat Controllers…
https://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/combat-control/
F**kin’ eh.
Nina Rose Nava, who went to school with the gunman, wrote on Facebook: ‘In (sic) in complete shock! I legit just deleted him off my fb cause I couldn’t stand his post.
‘He was always talking about how people who believe in God we’re stupid and trying to preach his atheism’
Christopher Leo Longoria replied: ‘I removed him off FB for those same reasons! He was being super nagtive (sic) all the timd (sic).’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5053013/Devin-Kelley-outcast-preached-atheism.html
This is an interesting development that has gotten little press (no wonder why). I’m talking about Radical Aggressive Atheists.
My daughter talked about meeting many of them in college.