Texas Church Shooting: At Least 26 Dead In Sutherland Springs

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TX — A gunman dressed in black and armed with a semi-automatic weapon opened fire Sunday during services at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, firing first from the outside, then from the inside, killing at least 26 people, some of them children, and injuring many more, officials said.

The gunman was seen at a gas station across from the church at about 11:20 a.m. before he crossed the street and started shooting, officials said. Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin told reporters at a press conference that a local citizen grabbed his own rifle and engaged the suspect as he exited the church, causing him to drop his Ruger AR rifle, and the resident then pursued the suspect.

The gunman fled in his vehicle and then crashed his at the Guadeloupe County line. He was found dead inside his vehicle, officials said. It is not known whether the gunman took his own life or was killed by the resident who pursued him. Officials said numerous weapons were found inside the gunman's vehicle and he was wearing a bullet-proof vest.

A law enforcement source identified the shooter to Patch as Devin P. Kelley, 26, who lived in a nearby suburb. Officials did not release more information on the shooter and whether he had a connection to the community. It initially did not appear Kelley had any known connection to terrorist groups, The Associated Press reported.

Details on the shooting were still being gathered, but the fatal attack left the small and tight-knit community in shock.

“We all in here know what happened today and it’s something we all say does not happen in small communities but we found out today that it does,” Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said at the evening press conference. Tackitt said officials did not have the names of any victims yet and authorities would be contacting family members as names are known.

The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72.

Authorities found 23 victims dead inside the church, two others were found outside and another victim died at the hospital.

A parishioner, Sandy Ward, said in an interview with The New York Times that her daughter-in-law and three of her grandchildren, including her 5-year-old grandson, were shot. Ward's grandson remained in surgery as of Sunday night. She said she was awaiting word on her other family members.

Pastor Frank Pomeroy, who spoke to ABC News, said his 14-year-old daughter Annabelle was among the dead. Pomeroy was in Oklahoma when the shooting happened and said all of those killed were close friends of his.

Wilson County Commissioner Albert Gamez Jr. told CNN his heart was broken at the news of the shooting. Gamez described the town as a small community where everyone knows each other.

Megan Posey, a spokeswoman for Connally Memorial Medical Center, which is in Floresville about 10 miles from the church, said "multiple" victims were being treated for gunshot wounds. Law enforcement officials said over a dozen people were transported to local hospitals in the San Antonio area.

"This will be a long-suffering mourning for those in pain," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at the Sunday press conference. "We ask for God’s comfort, for God’s guidance and for God’s healing for all those who are suffering."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement saying his office stands ready to assist local law enforcement as needed. Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn offered their condolences for the shooting victims.

"May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas," President Donald Trump tweeted, adding that he was monitoring the situation from Japan. He called the shooting an "act of evil."

"Our hearts are broken but in dark times — and these are dark times — such as these, Americans do what they do best," the president said from Japan.

Trump, who ordered U.S. flags at public buildings and grounds and military posts to be flown at half-staff through sunset Thursday, says he will continue monitoring the investigation during his 11-day tour of Asia.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that the president has been briefed several times and is continuing to receive regular updates on the shooting. Trump has spoken with Abbott and the White House offered thoughts and prayer to those affected by the shooting.

Photos posted to the First Baptist Church's Facebook page show that there had just been a Fall Festival celebration at the church.

Sunday's shooting happened on the same day as the Fort Hood massacre in 2009 that left 13 dead and injured many more. The shooting is also the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in the United States and the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

Sutherland Springs is about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio in Wilson County. The town was a popular tourist attraction in the 1910s, according to the Texas State Historical Association. According to the association, patrons from all over the United States and abroad regularly visited the "Saratoga of the South," staying at the 52-room Hotel Sutherland.

Watch: Governor: Church Shooting Worst In Texas History

SEE ALSO:

• Texas Shooting: More Added To U.S. Mass Shooting Casualty Tally
• Devin P. Kelley, Texas Church Massacre Suspect: 5 Facts

This is a breaking news story. Refresh this page for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Tony Cantu and Colin Miner contributed reporting.

Photo: Law enforcement officers gather in front of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs after a fatal shooting, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Photo by Darren Abate/Associated Press