Up to 27 people are feared dead in Texas after a gunman opened fire at a church outside San Antonio on Sunday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Fox News.
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.
Paxton told Fox News that, based on reports, up to 27 people and "many more" wounded when a man walked into the church around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire at the crowd of people.
Rep. Henry Cuellar told Fox News that investigators believe the gunman drove to the church from Comal County, Texas. He did not name the shooter.
"It is horrible," Wilson County Commissioner Larry Wiley told Fox News of the massacre, the motive of which is unknown. "It appears someone walked in and started shooting."
"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.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Fox News that "people never think" a shooting like this can "happen in their communities."
"In a small town, ... I can imagine that these people are devastated. And everyone in the community is going to ... have some type of close relationship" to those either killed or injured at the First Baptist Church.
He added it's "hard to justify why anyone would do this."
"This is horrific for our tiny little tight-knit town," Alena Berlanga, who lives 10 minutes outside of Sutherland Springs told The Associated Press. "Everybody's going to be affected and everybody knows someone who's affected."
President Trump, who's currently traveling in Asia, tweeted: "May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement that "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."
"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," the statement read.
Sutherland Springs has a population of about 400 residents.
Sunday's shooting comes just over a month after 58 people were killed and hundreds injured on Oct. 1 after a gunman opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas.
3 comments:
Large configuration of those critical incident vehicles at the scene.
Why the delay in identifying the shooter? Erasing his digital footprint? Creating an alternative narrative? Hmmmm Regardless, evil and very very sad.
The police killed the gunman, the police obviously know who the gunman is. But at this point, the only story is how many people are dead.
No story on who the gunman is, or why he might have done it, or why he might be suspected of having explosives in his home.
Whole lotta nothing.
We know what that means, usually.
That was the most "non press conference" I have ever spent hours waiting to watch. I thought Gov Abbott made one strange statement when he said to go hug you neighbor and tell him "we will work with each other." "What" conversation is being pre-framed?
Luckily, in Texas we trust in God AND our firearms. A neighbor by the church grabbed a rifle and engaged the gunman. It is quite possible he is the one who fired the shot that stopped the gunman from further carnage.
Other things which bother me? The church had three flags: Texas, American and Christian flag prominently displayed on tall flagpoles outside the church. The gunman started shooting before he even entered the church. So was the church a target?
What was in the vehicle? Is there an ISIS flag or a manifesto?
But the press conference essentially gave us nothing. Nothing of value. We did receive the most basic of reports: suspect identity and ideological affiliations.
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