The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Minister: Gunman got angry in past when denied cash
WHITE SETTLEMENT, TEXAS — The man who opened fire inside a Texas church, killing two people before being shot to death, visited the church several other times this year and was given food but got angry when officials refused to give him money, the minister said.
Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, brought a shotgun into the West Freeway Church of Christ in the Fort Worth-area town of White Settlement during Sunday services and opened fire, killing church members Richard White and Anton “Tony” Wallace, according to police. Witnesses said he was wearing a fake beard, a wig, a hat and a long coat, which drew the attention of the church security team.
Minister Britt Farmer told The Christian Chronicle he recognized Kinnunen after seeing a photo of him without the disguise.
“We’ve helped him on several occasions with food,” Farmer said in the interview. “He gets mad when we won’t give him cash. He’s been here on multiple occasions.”
Authorities said Kinnunen’s motive remained under investigation. He was fatally shot by Jack Wilson, a member of the church’s volunteer security team, within seconds of the attack.
“The only clear shot I had was his head because I still had people in the pews that were not all the way down as low as they could. That was my one shot,” Wilson said, adding that several other churchgoers had their weapons drawn as well.
The actions of Wilson and other armed churchgoers quickly drew praise from some Texas lawmakers and gun-rights advocates. Texas officials hailed the state’s gun laws, including a measure enacted this year that affirmed the right of licensed handgun holders to carry a weapon inside places of worship unless a facility bans them.
President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night and Tuesday morning about the attack, both times highlighting the role of armed citizens in stopping the shooter. “If it were not for the fact that there were people inside of the church that were both armed, and highly proficient in using their weapon, the end result would have been catastrophic. A big THANK YOU to them!” he tweeted Tuesday.
Texas lawmakers called for a special legislative session to address gun violence after a year that included mass shootings in El Paso and the West Texas cities of Odessa and Midland.