Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said the Sutherland Springs shooting killed about four percent of the town's population.
Texas became another state affected by gun violence this weekend when a gunman fatally shot 26 people and wounded 20 others at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Officials said it is unclear what motivated the gunman to attack the church.
Several politicians, including President Donald Trump, offered prayers and condolences to the shooting victims. Additionally, Trump, who is currently visiting Japan, said to reporters on Monday (Nov.
6), this attack is not a gun issue, but rather an issue of mental illness. Trump said the gunman was "deranged" and an example of the "mental health problem at the highest level".
May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2017
According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, 48 percent of Americans blame mental illness as the leading cause of gun violence. Easy access to guns is believed by 40 percent of Americans to be the reason for heightened gun violence.
The shooting took place a little more than a month after 58 people were killed in Las Vegas; the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
Response to Trump
Twitter users responded to Trump's allegations in which he called the Texas shooting a mental health issue and not a gun issue.
I️ feel sick to my stomach that Trump is claiming that the Texas shooting is a mental health issue only and not also a gun control issue
— Evynn (@evynnbeth) November 6, 2017
Trump is really saying the shooter in Texas was a mental health problem and not an issue with gun laws. First of all, it's both.
— Taylor (@taywebster36) November 6, 2017
Both Conn.
Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal tweeted their thoughts about this shooting and Congress' response to it. Blumenthal tweeted that prayers are important but insufficient for dealing with this issue.
Horror, heartbreak, shame. Prayers are important but insufficient. After another unspeakable tragedy, Congress must act - or be complicit.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) November 5, 2017
The shooting
According to CNN News, one person lost eight members of their family in this shooting.
Members of the deceased family included a five-month pregnant woman and her three children, according to a relative and community leader. The church's regular pastor lost his 14-year-old daughter in this shooting, said Sherri Pomeroy, her mother. The gunman's in-laws attend the church but were not there at the time of the shooting, according to Sheriff Tackitt
Law enforcement officials have identified 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley as the shooter. Air Force Spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Kelley was a member of the Air Force until being discharged in 2010. Stefanek said he received a bad conduct discharge after assaulting his wife and child and serving a year in confinement.
Kelley allegedly used a Ruger AR-556 rifle he purchased in 2016 from a store in San Antonio, Texas, said a law enforcement official. There was no disqualifying information found in the background check according to a law enforcement official.
