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UPDATE: Identified Shooter That Killed At Least 26 Was Court-Martialed, Discharged From Air Force For Assault

DPS says the alleged shooter, identified as Devin Kelley, according to AP, was dressed in black, wearing tactical gear and a ballistic vest when he crossed the street to the church, left his vehicle and started firing a Ruger AR assault-type rifle at the church, then he entered the church and fired again.

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THE LATEST on a shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs (all times local):

 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott attends a candlelight vigil on Sunday, November 5, 2017 after a gunman killed 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs, TX.

 

9 p.m.

An Air Force official says the man identified by officials to The Associated Press as the gunman in the mass shooting at a Texas church was court-martialed in 2012 and discharged two years later.

Spokeswoman Ann Stefanek says Devin P. Kelley was court-martialed on one count of assault on his spouse and another count of assault on their child. He received a bad conduct discharge, 12 months’ confinement and a reduction in rank.

Stefanek also says Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others wounded in the attack in Sutherland Springs.

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7:30 p.m.

A U.S. military official says the suspect identified in the mass shooting at a Texas church was a former Air Force member who was stationed in New Mexico at one time.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek says records confirm that Devin P. Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge. The date of his discharge and the circumstances under which he left the service were not immediately available.

The Pentagon also confirmed that Kelley was an airman “at one point,” but didn’t provide additional details.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others wounded in the attack in Sutherland Springs.

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7:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump has promised his administration’s full support to the investigation of a Texas church shooting that left 26 dead and about 20 wounded.

Speaking to U.S. and Japanese business leaders in Tokyo Monday morning during his Asian trip, Trump highlighted that this “act of evil” at a place of sacred worship.

Trump says: “Our hearts are broken but in dark times — and these are dark times — such as these, Americans do what they do best.” He says Americans will pull together to help those suffering.

Trump says he will continue monitoring the investigation during his 11-day tour.

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7:05 p.m.

More than 100 people gathered after dark on a grassy street corner within sight of the church where the shooting occurred for a prayer vigil.

Attendees, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, lit candles while some wept and others hugged Sunday night. They could see the church sign lit up and emergency lights flashing.

The vigil across the street from a gas station convenience store where law enforcement officials say the shooter stopped before the attack.

Mike Gonzales, who does not attend the church but lives near says: “The people of this church are wonderful people.” Gonzales added, “We’re coming together to pray for them and show the world that now, in the midst of darkness, there is light.”

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 wounded in the attack.

 

 

Unity. #Vigil #SutherlandSprings #Texas #MassShooting

A post shared by Nick Wagner (@wagsphoto) on

 

 

 

Law enforcement officers gather in front of the First Baptist Church after a fatal shooting on Nov. 5th, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

 

 

7 p.m.

The Pentagon has confirmed the suspect identified in the mass shooting at a Texas church previously served in the Air Force.

In a brief statement, the Pentagon says Devin Kelley was an airman “at one point,” but additional details about his time in the Air Force were not immediately available.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others injured in the attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

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6:45 p.m.

Two sheriff’s vans were parked outside and police officers stood at the gate of a cattle fence surrounding the address listed for the Texas church shooting suspect, preventing a group of waiting journalists from entering.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity have identified him as Devin Kelley.

Officials from the Comal County Sherriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers declined to comment Sunday evening, or to say if they had raided his home. A few minutes later, the gate opened and two Texas Rangers trucks pulled out.

The home is in a wooded area on the rural, western outskirts of New Braunfels, north of San Antonio. It is off a two-lane highway.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 wounded in the shooting.

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6:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump says the deadly church shooting in Texas is an “act of evil.”

Trump is in Tokyo on the first leg of a visit to Asia. He says he has spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state has the administration’s “full support.”

Trump says he will continue to follow developments closely while he is traveling through Asia.

The president says the “act of evil” occurred as the victims and families were in their place of “sacred worship.”

Texas authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others were wounded Sunday after a man open fire inside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs southeast of San Antonio.

 

 

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6:15 p.m.

Texas authorities are offering more details about the timeline of a deadly church shooting.

Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin says the alleged shooter was dressed in black, wearing tactical gear and a ballistic vest when he arrived at a neighboring gas station around 11:20 a.m.

He crossed the street to the church, left his vehicle and started firing a Ruger AR assault-type rifle at the church. Then he entered the church and fired.

As he left the church, the shooter met an unidentified area resident with his own rifle who pursued him. The suspect was found dead in his vehicle near the border between Wilson and Guadalupe counties.

Martin says it’s unclear if he died of a self-inflected wound or was shot by the resident.

Authorities haven’t announced the name of the suspect, only describing him as a white male in his 20s.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Devin Kelley.

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6 p.m.

A top Texas public safety officer says that 23 of the people found dead in a shooting at a Baptist church were found inside the building, two others were outside and one person was transported but died later.

Freeman Martin, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, says the ages of those killed ranged from 5 to 72.

He told a news conference that about 20 other people were injured in the attack.

The first report of the shooting was at about 11:20 a.m., or about 20 minutes after the church website says the Sunday worship was scheduled to start.

 

 

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5:40 p.m.

Gov. Greg Abbott says 26 people were killed in the attack on a Texas church and that it was the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history.

Abbott’s remarks came during a news conference Sunday, hours after the attack on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Devin Kelley.

In a press conference Sunday night, an official from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) described the scene: Around 11:20 am, the suspect, dressed in black, approached the church and began firing an assault rifle. He then entered the church and continued firing.

 

Sutherland Springs residents gather at the Community Building after the shooting at nearby First Baptist church, on Nov. 5th, 2017.

 

 

 

5.25 p.m.

The Associated Press says two officials confirmed that the Sutherland Springs church shooter was Devin Kelley.

 

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5 p.m.

A congregant who wasn’t at a Texas church the day of a deadly shooting says his cousins attended and that family members have been told at least one was killed.

34-yr old Nick Uhlig says he didn’t go to the Sutherland Springs church Sunday because he was out late Saturday. He says the cousin who was killed had three children and was pregnant with a fourth. He didn’t know specifics about how the other was doing.

Uhlig says the family had just met days earlier for his cousins’ grandfather’s funeral.

Also, After big celebrations last week for their World Series Championship, the Houston Astros expressed their condolences to those affected by the shooting

 

 

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4.50 p.m.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, issued a statement after the shooting.

"While many of the details are yet to be determined, clearly what happened today in Sutherland Springs is a horrific tragedy. I have spoken personally with Wilson County Sheriff Joe D. Tackitt, Jr. and Wilson County Commissioner Albert Gamez, Jr. and offered the full resources of my office to assist in any way possible both now and as we move forward.

“… My job now is to make sure that he and the people of Sutherland Springs have access to every resource available to them, and I will make sure that they have everything they need. Sutherland Springs has a special place in my heart. It is one of those unique communities where everyone knows everyone else and supports each other.”

Democratic National Comittee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement: "I’m heartbroken by the horrific shooting in Texas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Sutherland Springs and all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy.

"No American should ever be afraid to worship. No family should ever face the unbearable pain that too many American families are feeling today. In the last 35 days, we’ve witnessed two of the worst mass shootings in American history. We cannot allow those who wish us harm to so easily turn their hatred into violence. And we must be united in working to ensure that these tragedies become a relic of the past rather than routine."

 

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4:20 p.m.

The wife of the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs says the couple’s 14-year-old daughter was among those killed in a mass shooting at the church.

Sherri Pomeroy, wife of Pastor Frank Pomeroy, said in a text message that she lost her daughter “and many friends” in the Sunday shooting. The text came in response to an interview request sent by The Associated Press to a phone number linked in online records to Frank Pomeroy.

Sherri Pomeroy says both she and her husband were out of town and trying to get back to Sutherland Springs, outside of San Antonio.

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3:30 p.m.

A law enforcement official says more than 20 people have been killed in a shooting at a church in a small town outside San Antonio.

The official, who was briefed on the investigation, says the gunman fled the church in a vehicle after the shooting and was also killed, either by a self-inflicted wound or during a confrontation with police. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The official says between 10 to 15 people were also injured but stressed the investigation was early and the figures could change. Authorities are still trying to determine a motive.

Federal law enforcement swarmed the scene to offer assistance, including ATF investigators and members of the FBI’s evidence collection team.

David Martin Davies of Texas Public Radio told NPR’s Noel King that more than 20 people are dead, including the shooter.

“This is a blue jeans and working boots kind of church,” Davies said. “It’s a big part of the community.”

 

2:37 p.m.

Federal authorities are responding to a shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small community southeast of San Antonio. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has tweeted that special agents from its San Antonio field office have been dispatched to the scene.

 

A man walked into the church during a service late Sunday morning and “began firing,” the local Wilson County News reports, citing county Sheriff Joe Tackitt. The paper notes that Tackitt “confirmed there were multiple casualties and multiple fatalities.”

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told NPR that it “was an active shooter incident.” The Wilson County News later reported that “the shooter has been taken down” — though officials have not yet publicly clarified whether that means he was taken into custody or killed.

“While the details of this horrific act are still under investigation, Cecilia and I want to send our sincerest thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected by this evil act,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “I want to thank law enforcement for their response and ask that all Texans pray for the Sutherland Springs community during this time of mourning and loss.”

 

“It’s a small Baptist church. It’s an older building,” one witness who works nearby told MSNBC, adding that she heard “semiautomatic gunfire” from her vantage point about 150 yards away.

“I never thought it would happen here. This is something that happens in a big city. I would never have thought this would have taken place here. It’s just too tight a community. It doesn’t make sense.”

 

 

 

 

2:15 p.m.
A County Commissioner in Texas says he’s been told that more than 20 people were killed and more than 20 were wounded in an attack at a church, though he says those figures haven’t been confirmed.
Albert Gamez, a Wilson County commissioner, made the comments to cable news outlets after the attack Sunday at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, a small community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.
A sheriff says that a man walked into the church and started firing. Authorities say the attacker was later killed.

 

President Trump says he is “monitoring the situation from Japan.”

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/927265906086031363

 

_
1:20 p.m.
A sheriff says a man walked into a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and started shooting, leaving multiple people dead.
The Wilson County News reports that Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said the shooter has been taken down. It wasn’t immediately known how many people were killed and wounded or who carried out the attack.
First responders converged on the church in the small town southeast of San Antonio and helicopters are taking victims to hospitals.
Sutherland Springs is a community of about 400 people 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.
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1 p.m.
Local news outlets report that several people have been shot at a Baptist Church in South Texas.
Television stations KSAT and KENS report that there are multiple victims and that there is a large police presence at the church in Sutherland Springs, which is 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.
KSAT reports that two Airlife helicopters are also at the scene.
A sheriff’s department dispatcher says everyone is at the scene and unavailable to comment.
KSAT has video of several fire and police vehicles at the church and a photo of a helicopter that the station says was arriving to take victims to hospitals.

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