Texas church shooting leaves 26 dead

A lone shooter opened fire on a small church on Nov. 5 in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people. This attack has left the families of these victims horrified, as well as other churchgoers.

The suspect, Devin Kelley, fled the scene and was pursued by a resident and police, but after running his car off the road was found dead in his vehicle, according to a NBC News summary report from November.

Kelley was an ex-military officer who had been dishonorably discharged and sent to a mental facility, which he broke out of shortly after, according to a FOX News report from Nov. 7. His dishonorable discharge was due to the fact that he allegedly beat his wife and stepson. He purchased a weapon without getting a background check, and because of the fact that the military would not disclose information about Kelley’s mental status to the FBI, he was easily able to get the handgun.

According to an update from the Crime Prevention Research Center, Kelley was pursued during his rampage by another churchgoer named Stephen Willeford, who was able to return to his home and obtain a gun shortly after Kelley arrived with his weapon.

According to the FOX News report, attacks like this have become so common in recent years, such as the shooting of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church by Dylann Roof in 2015. Roof, like Kelley, was not legally allowed to own a firearm due to a drug charge, but was able to purchase a gun due to a filing issue with his report.