Texas shooting: Row with mother-in-law may have motivated gunman's rampage
Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, had argued with his mother-in-law before going on the rampage at Sutherland Springs that left 26 people dead; half were children. Police implied that the argument may have motivated him to carry out the attack. Officials said Kelley wasn't legally permitted to own the three guns he was armed with, including a semi-automatic and two pistols.
Police said attack wasn't "racially motivated"
"This was not racially motivated, it wasn't over religious beliefs," said Freeman Martin, the regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety. "There was a domestic situation going on with the family and in-laws," he said. Kelley had sent threatening texts to his mother-in-law. "We know that he expressed anger towards his mother-in-law, who attends this church," Martin added.
Armed "Good Samaritan" opened fire on Kelley, saved countless lives
An armed bystander, described as a "good Samaritan" opened fire on Kelley after he went on a rampage at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. The "good Samaritan," identified as Stephen Willeford, shot Kelley after which the suspect called up his father and told him he didn't think he'd survive. Kelley died from a self-inflicted bullet wound.
Who were the victims of the horrific mass shooting
Kelley's mother-in-law, Michelle Schields, wasn't at the church during the shooting. However, her mother, Lula White, was reportedly killed in Kelley's rampage. Police said around 12-14 children were killed in the attack. The youngest victim was just a year old. Eight members of a single family, the Holcombes, were also killed. Of the 20 people injured, 10 are in a critical condition.
Kelley had a history of violent activities
Kelley joined the US Air Force in 2010 but was court-martialled in 2012 and sentenced to a year in military prison for assaulting his wife and infant stepson. The assault left his stepson with a fractured skull. He was dishonorably discharged from the military in 2014. Kelley had a fragile mental state and was cited for animal cruelty for beating his dog.
