Church killer had history of domestic violence
THE gunman who killed 26 people at a small-town Texas church sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law before the attack, which appeared to have been driven by domestic tensions, authorities said.
A day after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, investigators also revealed that the gunman had been confronted about domestic violence at least twice in the last five years, including an assault on his ex-wife and a child that ended his Air Force career, and another report of violence against a girlfriend who became his second wife.
Police have also confirmed that Devin Patrick Kelley killed his grandmother-in-law.
Lula White, a member and volunteer at the First Baptist
Church in the tiny community of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was Mr Kelley’s wife’s grandmother.
The dead ranged in age from 18 months to 77 years old and included multiple members of some families.
President Donald Trump, who is currently visiting Japan, called the shooting an “act of evil”,
branding the gunman “a very deranged individual”.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen plan to travel to Texas tomorrow to meet those affected by the shooting.
The attack appeared to stem from a domestic situation and was not racially or religiously motivated, Texas Department of
Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said.
Investigators believe Kelley died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was chased by armed bystanders and crashed his car. The 26-year-old also used his mobile phone to tell his father that he had been shot and did not think he would survive.
Kelley, dressed in black tactical gear, had fired an assault rifle as he walked down the aisle of the church during worship services on Sunday. He turned around and continued shooting on his way out of the building, officials said.
About 20 people were wounded, 10 of whom were still in a critical condition in hospital.
The investigation showed that Kelley had displayed a pattern of violence spanning years.
In 2014, sheriff’s deputies went to his home in response to a domestic violence complaint involving him and his then-girlfriend. People in the house said there was no problem, and no arrests were made. Kelley married the girlfriend two months later.
That same year, he was discharged from the Air Force for assaulting his previous wife and a child, and had served 12 months of confinement after a 2012 court-martial. He was also charged with misdemeanour animal cruelty in 2014 in Colorado.
Officials said Kelley had sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law, who attended the church but was not present on Sunday, in the run-up to the attack.
Meanwhile, Wilson County Sheriff Joe D Tackitt Jr said once the shooting started, there was probably “no way” for people to escape.
Authorities said Kelley lived in New Braunfels, about 35 miles north of the church. Investigators were reviewing social media posts he made in the days before the attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon. Less than two months ago, Kelley had started a job as an unarmed security guard at a nearby resort.