UPDATED: 26 people have been killed by a gunman who walked into a Texas church in a rural town 30 miles outside San Antonio, Tex. Sunday and opened fire.
Governor of Texas Greg Abbott reported the death toll. A pregnant woman and children were among those killed.
A witness said she heard about 20 shots in rapid succession around 11:30 a.m. local time while church service was in session.
According to David Keen, a constable with Wilson County, Tex., the gunman is dead. According to the New York Times, the shooter was 26 years old and has been identified by police as a resident of Comal County, northeast of San Antonio. The town of Sutherland Springs, where the shooting took place, has a small population in the low hundreds — the current death toll represents about 7% of the population.
Local reports indicate that the man entered the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs and began firing. A spokeswoman for the Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville, Tex., said that patients had been received there and that the hospital had activated its emergency response team.
At least 20 other people have been injured, with two other hospitals have reported that they’ve received patients from the shooting, including ten at University Hospital in San Antonio including several children. The youngest injured is five years old.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said on Twitter: “Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act. Our thanks to law enforcement for their response.”
Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act. Our thanks to law enforcement for their response. More details from DPS soon. https://t.co/KMCRmOPkiM
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 5, 2017
President Donald Trump, who is on a trip to Japan, also responded to the tragedy, writing, “May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas.”
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
The shooter was killed after a brief chase north into neighboring Guadalupe County, according Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Robert Murphy. It is unclear if the shooter was killed by police or took his own life, Murphy said.
According to the FBI field office in San Antonio, agents are responding to the scene. Personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are also responding.
