REVEALED: Texas shooter targeted the church where his second wife’s family worshipped, before shooting himself in the head after fleeing
Devin Patrick Kelley appears to have a connection to the church he targeted in Sutherland Springs, Texas
Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackett said Monday that his ex in-laws attended the First Baptist Church
It was previously reported that Kelley’s wife Danielle’s family were parishioners
Tackett’s statement that it was his ex’s parents who attended the church indicate that he and his wife may have had a falling out
Danielle used to work as a teacher at the church, her mother is friends with the pastor’s wife on social media
Records show they were married in April 2014, when Kelley was 23 and his bride was 19
He was also married at least once before, to a Tessa K Kelley
The couple divorced in 2012, the same year he was court-martialed for domestic violence
Kelley used to teach Bible studies, but family and friends say he became an atheist at some point
A former classmate told ABC News that Kelley hated religion people and that his social media posts on Sunday showed he was ‘in a bad place’
By ASHLEY COLLMAN
DAILYMAIL.COM
6 November 2017
The Texas church shooter had family connections to the church where he killed at least 26 on Sunday in what is now the worst mass shooting in the state’s history.
Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackett told the Today show Monday morning that Devin Patrick Kelley’s ex in-laws attended the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, where he unleashed a firestorm of bullets during Sunday morning service.
It was previously reported that Kelley’s wife Danielle was a former teacher at the school, and that her mother Michelle was a parishoner.
But the sheriff’s revelation that it was his ex in-laws who attended the church indicates that he and Danielle may have had a falling out.
Sheriff Tackett said the family was not at the church at the time of the shooting, but spoke to investigators yesterday after the massacre.
As of Monday, Danielle’s Facebook profile still listed her relationship status as ‘married’ and photos on the account show her with two young kids.
Neighbor Mark Moravitz told ABC News that Kelley lived at his parents’ home in New Braunfels with his wife and child/. Moravitz said that he would sometimes hear gunshots coming for near the house late at night.
Marriage records show the two tied the knot in Comal County, Texas on April 4, 2014, when Kelley was 23 and his bride was 19.
Divorce records show he was also married once before to a Tessa K Kelley. Kelley and his other wife divorced in 2012 – the same year that he was court-martialed for domestic violence.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Kelley was court-martialed on one count of assault on his spouse and another count of assault on their child. He was sentenced to 12 months’ confinement, a reduction in rank and was discharged for bad conduct two years later.
Stefanek said Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge.
Kelley walked into the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, dressed in black, tactical gear with a ballistics belt and an assault rifle, and began shooting, according to local law enforcement sources.
The attack only stopped when Kelley, of New Braunfels, a suburb of San Antonio, was confronted by local hero Stephen Willeford, 55, who shot him through a gap in his body armor as the gunman tried to leave the church. Kelley fled in his car, lost control in his vehicle and was found dead inside.
At least 26 people were killed in the shooting, but the death toll is expected to climb, authorities say. Victims include a two-year-old girl and the 14-year-old adopted daughter of the pastor.
Eight members of one family, including a eight-months-pregnant mother and three of her children were killed, a community leader and relative told CNN , without revealing their identities. The Connally Memorial Medical Center said ‘multiple’ victims are being treated.
Last night, San Antonio police raided Kelley’s home with K9 and bomb squad units, along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives unit and FBI.
Horrific new details of the attack have started to emerge with police saying there was likely ‘no way’ for congregants to escape. Wilson County Sheriff Joe D. Tackitt Jr. said: ‘He (Kelley) just walked down the center aisle, turned around and my understanding was shooting on his way back out. It’s unbelievable to see children, men and women, laying there. Defenseless people.’
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