Today's mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was only halted after an armed Texan "engaged" the killer and put an end to the rampage, the Texas Rangers reported.
Freeman Martin, a major in the Texas Rangers and a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, says the suspect dropped his rifle and fled after being confronted by a local man who had grabbed his rifle.
Freeman provided a timeline of the tragedy in a press briefing Sunday evening.
"At approximately 11:20 this morning a suspect was seen at a Valero gas station in Sutherland Springs, Texas," Martin said. "He was dressed in all black. That suspect crossed the street to the church, exited his vehicle and began firing at the church."
"That suspect then moved to the right side of the church and then continued to fire," he continued. "That suspect entered the church and continued to fire. As he exited the church, a local resident grabbed his rifle and engaged that suspect. The suspect dropped his rifle, which was a Ruger AR assault-type rifle and fled from the church."
"Our local citizen pursued the suspect at that time," Freeman went on. "A short time later as law enforcement responded that suspect right at the Wilson/Guadalupe County line crashed out and was found deceased in his vehicle. At this time we don’t know if it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound or if he was shot by the local resident. We know he’s deceased in the vehicle. "
The suspected killer is being reported as
Devin Patrick Kelley. However, Freeman would reported, "The suspect has not been completely identified. We believe he’s a young white male, maybe in his early 20s. He was dressed in all black, tactical type gear and was wearing a ballistic vest."
