UPDATE: Several media outlets on Sunday evening are reporting that the suspect in the Texas church shooting was identified as Devin Patrick Kelley.
UPDATE No. 2: The 14-year-old daughter of a Texas church’s pastor and more than two dozen people were shot and killed on Sunday during service.
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A local Texas official said that more than 20 people were shot and killed after a gunman walked inside a church and opened fire Sunday, the New York Times reported.
Paul W. Pfeil, a Wilson County, Texas, commissioner, said he couldn’t confirm the exact number of deaths or injuries. But he said there are “more than 20” dead, the Times reported.
Another official, Albert Gamez Jr., who is a Wilson County commissioner, told CNN that the shooter was chased by police into another county and died, but it’s not clear if he killed himself or was shot by police.
Many of the victims are still in the church, he said.
“You never expect something like this. My heart is broken,” he told CNN.
Another official—David Keen, a constable in Wilson County—confirmed that there “were kids involved,” the Times reported.
“We’re sending more officers on the streets to help secure Connally Memorial while they’re bringing the casualties to the hospital,” Keen said.
Sheriff Joe Tackitt told the Wilson County News that there have been multiple injuries and fatalities, including children. It was not clear how many people may have been killed or wounded, Reuters reported.
FBI officials arrive at the site of a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2017, in this picture obtained via social media. (MAX MASSEY/ KSAT 12/via REUTERS)The Wilson County Texas Sheriff’s Office told Reuters that officers were responding to an incident at the church, without providing further information about the shooting.
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
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other law enforcement agencies were either on the scene or traveling there, according to reports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a tweet after the incident. “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,” he said.
