Church gunman deliberately targeted babies
gunman who killed 26 people at a small town Texas church went aisle to aisle looking for victims and shot crying babies at point-blank range, a couple who survived the attack said.
Rosanne Solis and Joaquin Ramirez were sitting near the entrance to the First Baptist Church on Sunday when they heard what sounded like firecrackers and realised someone was shooting at the tiny woodframed building.
Ms Solis said members of the congregation began screaming and dropped to the floor. She could see bullets flying into the carpet and fellow worshippers falling down after getting hit.
For a moment the attack seemed to stop, and worshiplence
From left: People visit a memorial to victims of shooting; Johnny Langendorff, one of two men who chased the killer, attends a vigil, and Kelley
pers thought police had arrived to confront the gunman, but then he entered the church and resumed “shooting hard” at helpless families, she added.
The gunman checked each aisle for more victims, including babies who cried out amid the noise and
smoke, Mr Ramirez said. The couple survived by huddling close to the ground and playing dead. Ms Solis was shot in the arm, and Mr Ramirez was hit by shrapnel. About 20 other people were wounded. The dead ranged from 18 months to 77 years and includ-
ed multiple members of some families.
Investigators collected at least 15 empty magazines that held 30 rounds each, suggesting the assailant fired at least 450 rounds.
The gunman, Devin Patrick Kelley, had a history of domestic vioTHE
and was able to buy weapons because the Air Force did not submit his criminal history to the FBI, as required by military rules.
If Kelley’s past offences had been properly shared, they would have prevented him from buying a gun, the Air Force acknowledged.