[UPDATED 7:42PM ET]
President Donald Trump has offered his first official statements on the mass shooting, referring to the mass shooting as an “act of evil.”
“This act of evil occurred as the victims and their families were in their place of sacred worship. We cannot put into words the pain and grief we all feel and we cannot begin to imagine the suffering of those who lost the ones they love,” Trump said in a news briefing, adding that his “thoughts and prayers” are with the victims.
During his statements, he failed to suggest or mention future plans to take legislative action to reform any policies pertaining to gun control.
Additionally, Trump pledged his administration’s “full support to the great state of Texas and all local authorities investigating this horrible crime.”
UPDATED 7:00PM ET:
The gunman has officially been identified by police as 26-year-old Devin Kelley
Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed in a news briefing that 26 people were killed in the attack, which was also the state’s deadliest mass shooting in history. Over two dozen were injured and the gunman was killed after a brief chase.
According to reports, victims of the shooting ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old.
Original story below:
A shooting broke out inside a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 25 people.
According to reports, the gunman, whose identity has not yet been released, walked into the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs around 11:30am Sunday morning (Nov. 5) and opened fire, with at least 25 people losing their lives and 27 others sustaining injuries in the gunfire. Reports originally confirmed at least 27 died, but an official number has not yet been released.
According to Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Robert Murphy, the gunman was killed after a brief chase, but it is not yet certain if the shooter killed themselves or if police intervened. The FBI and local authorities are on the scene investigating and have reported that there is no longer an active threat in the community surrounding the church, which is about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio. The shooter was believed to be acting alone and the motive behind the horrific act is not yet known.
One witness, a cashier at a gas station across the street, said she heard about 20 shots being fired in quick succession, with the gunfire taking place as the church service was in session. The church’s congregation is reportedly about 50 people, with this mass shooting now the deadliest shooting at a place of worship in modern history.
Donald Trump was quick to tweet about the devastating violence, adding his condolences and that he is “monitoring the situation from Japan.”
“The thoughts and prayers of all Texans are with the people of Sutherland Springs as tragic reports come out of First Baptist Church,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. “Please join Angela and me as we pray for those impacted by this horrific shooting.”
Gov. Greg Abbott has also released an official statement, which can be read in full below.
More on this story as it develops.
See some footage from the scene and reactions to the shooting below.