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26 Dead In Texas Church Shooting:- In another tragic incident in US, around 26 people were killed and 16 others were left wounded when a man dressed in black tactical-style gear, armed with an assault rifle opened fire. The incident happened inside a church in a small South Texas community on Sunday.
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The Governor termed the incident as the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history. The deceased victims were in the age group from 5 to 72 years old. The attacker was not identified by the authorities during a news conference on Sunday night. But, two other officials - one a US official and one in law enforcement - identified him as Devin Kelley. On the condition of anonymity, they spoke to a leading news channel, because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
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Kelley lived in a San Antonio suburb and did not appear to be linked to organised terrorist groups, said a US official. The social media posts of Kelley made in the days before Sunday's attack, were overlooked by the investigators. The post also included one that appeared to show an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon.
The Pentagon, in a brief statement, confirmed that “at one point”, he had served in the Air Force. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said “Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, from 2010 until his discharge”, as per the records. However, the discharge date and the reason why he left the service were not immediately available. The attacker, at the news conference, was described only as a white man in his 20s. And when he pulled into a gas station across from the First Baptist Church around 11:20 am, he was wearing black tactical gear and a ballistic vest.
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A regional director of the Texas Department of Safety, Freeman Martin, said the gunman crossed the street and started firing a Ruger AR rifle at the church. After entering the white wood-frame building, he then continued firing where an 11 am service was scheduled. Kelley was confronted by an armed resident who chased him, as he left. The suspect was found dead in his vehicle at the county line, a short time later, said Martin.
Martin said that many weapons were found inside the vehicle and it was not clear if the attacker died of a self-inflicted wound or if he was shot by the resident who confronted him. The investigators were not ready to discuss a possible motive for the attack, said Martin. Inside the church, 23 were found dead and two were found dead outside the church and one died after being taken to a hospital.
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Gov. Greg Abbott called the attack the worst mass shooting in Texas history, while addressing the news conference. “There are no words to describe the pure evil that we witnessed in Sutherland Springs today,” Abbott said.
“Our hearts are heavy at the anguish in this small town, but in time of tragedy, we see the very best of Texas. May God comfort those who've lost a loved one, and may God heal the hurt in our communities.”
The hospital officials said, “at least 16 wounded were taken to hospitals, including eight were taken by medical helicopter to the Brooke Army Medical Center”. “Another eight victims were taken to Connally Memorial Medical Center, located in Floresville about 10 miles from the church, including four who were later transferred to University Hospital in San Antonio for higher-level care”, said spokeswoman Megan Posey.
President Donald Trump, who was in Japan, where he was on an Asian trip, called the shooting an “act of evil” and said he was monitoring the situation.
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