Faithful to pray at tragic church
KILLER: I BOUGHT A LOAD OF GUNS
Pomeroy was traveling on the day of the shooting and was not at the church. His wife was away as well.
Their daughter Annabelle, 14, died in the massacre, as did a pregnant woman and her unborn child.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea, said Rebecca Fernandez, 53, who stopped by the church to leave flowers. “I definitely want to be there to support the community. With the crazy things that are happening in this world right now, it’s sad that this is what might bring us together.”
“The more moral support people have, the better off they’ll be,” Sonny Najar said as he took in the makeshift memorial of flowers and stuffed animals. “We need this (service) Sunday, because you know what? A week from now, nobody’s going to be here. The world moves on, but people here will still be grieving.”
Meanwhile, authorities piecing together gunman Devin Kelley’s movements and motives viewed video of the massacre taken inside the church.
Kelley’s carnage, was captured as he walked around and shot congregants in the head.
The 26-year-old was able to buy several weapons, including the Ruger AR-556 rifle he used on children and grandparents — despite his having done a military jail stint on domestic violence charges and getting a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force.
Defense Secretary James Mattis signed a memo Wednesday requesting that the Defense Department’s inspector general look into the handling of Kelley’s criminal records, according to The Hill. BEFORE HE bolted from a mental health facility amid his Air Force prosecution for domestic violence, Devin Kelley reportedly told other patients he purchased multiple firearms in an online shopping spree. The gunman, who killed 26 people and wound 20 more in a Texas church massacre Sunday bragged about buying the weapons during the three days leading up to his June 2012 escape from Peak Behavioral Health Services in New Mexico, KHOU11 News reported Wednesday. Kelley was taking medication for depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at the time, the station said, citing new police records. A police report that surfaced revealed Kelley escaped from Peak while under criminal investigation by the Air Force. It said he was busted a Greyhound bus station in downtown El Paso. While Kelley was on the run, a Peak staffer told cops Kelley was caught sneaking firearms onto Hollaman Air Force Base and threatened his military superiors, the report said.