26 dead in Texas church shooting

A single gunman has killed at least 26 people and injured 20 more at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Victims of the shooting range in ages from 5 to 72, including First Baptist Church Paster Frank Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter.

The gunman, identified by authorities as Devin P. Kelley, is also dead after attempting to flee.

Area of the church is now blocked off and taped off. Family and friends still waiting to hear if their loved ones are safe. pic.twitter.com/YsKz78i3Lg

— Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017

Kelley reportedly opened fire from a position outside the church shortly after 11:20 this morning. He then entered the church and continued to fire. According to Freeman Martin, the regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, upon trying to exit the church, a local resident engaged Kelley and grabbed his rifle. Kelley then fled from the church, followed by the local resident.

Kelley fled in his vehicle, which was discovered by police a short time later at the county line. Kelley was inside, dead of a gunshot wound, but it is unclear if it was self-inflicted or if he was shot by the resident who pursued him.

Neighbors say they heard shooter may have reloaded multiple times, around 50 people usually at service pic.twitter.com/tkAYMp2Y8A

— Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017

The motive is currently unknown.

President Trump made the following statement:

“This act of evil occurred as the victims and their families were in their place of sacred worship. We cannot put into words the pain and grief we all feel and we cannot begin to imagine the suffering of those who lost the ones they love.”

This shooting is the fifth deadliest in modern U.S. history, and the deadliest shooting in Texas history. Two of the five deadliest mass shootings (this one and the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in Las Vegas, where a sniper killed 58 people) have happened in the last 35 days.