Church gunman ‘wanted to murder wife’s family’
...but mother-in-law wasn’t there when he killed 26 worshippers
THE Texas gunman who killed 26 worshippers targeted a church attended by his estranged in-laws after arguing with them and sending threatening text messages, police said yesterday.
morning Church Devin Kelley, in service Sutherland 26, at walked the First Springs into Baptist Sunday and opened fire indiscriminately.
On the morning of his rampage, Kelley had sent threatening texts to his motherin-law, Michelle Shields, and had ‘expressed anger’ towards her, investigators said.
But she and her husband were not at the church when Kelley massacred members of the congregation. However Mrs Shield’s 71-year-old mother Lula White was among the dead. Police said they believe the attack was motivated by the ‘domestic situation’ and not by race or religion.
Dressed in black combat gear and a black mask emblazoned with a white skull, Kelley reportedly walked up and down the aisle as he The 18-month-old a pastor shot church tragic of one almost who elder dead family had child – the ranged and died, stepped to entire eight a including from 77-yearold members congregation. in an to lead in Ten a critical the of the service. condition 20 wounded yesterday. remained
who Plumber lives near Stephen the Willeford, church, shot 55, the gunman outside with his own AR-15 after his daughter told him the congregation was under attack. Kelley then dropped his rifle and sped off in his silver Ford Explorer SUV – which contained at least one other firearm. Mr Willeford also flagged down motorist Johnnie Langendorff, and they chased Kelley at speeds of up to 140kph for 15km. Kelley then lost control of his car, stopping in a field. As Mr Langendorff stopped his own vehicle 25 yards away, Mr Willeford jumped out with his rifle levelled at the gunman – who remained motionless in his car – until police arrived. Officers think Kelley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mr Langendorff said yesterday: ‘It was an act “now, ask questions later” kind of deal.’ Meanwhile it has emerged that Kelley was thrown out of the US military for seriously assaulting his first wife and hitting his stepson so hard he broke his skull. Kelley joined the US Air Force in 2010 but was court-martialled two years later after admitting assaulting his wife and her child. She divorced him. He was jailed for 12 months and received a ‘bad conduct’ discharge in 2014. On his release, he married second wife Danielle Shields in Texas. They lived briefly in a Colorado mobile home before returning to Texas where they and their child lived on a 28-acre estate owned by his parents in New Braunfels church. Legal – 50km experts north believe of the his dishonourable discharge from the air force should have prevented him from purchasing a firearm. Instead he bought four, taking an assault rifle and two handguns with him to attack the church. Kelley had posted a picture of his AR-15 assault rifle on Facebook, captioned ‘She’s a bad bitch.’ Former classmates of Kelley said yesterday that he had been a vociferous atheist. ‘He was always talking about how people who believe in God were stupid and trying to preach his atheism,’ said Nina Rosa Nava. He recently worked as a security guard at a holiday resort but management sacked him a month later after conducting a criminal background check. O Texas pastor Robert Jeffress, who preached at Donald Trump’s inauguration service, yesterday claimed the massacre increased the need for some churchgoers to be armed. Meanwhile, the US president said during a visit to Tokyo: ‘This isn’t a guns situation. This is a mental health problem at the highest level.’