Texas churches have also experienced such violence. In 1999, a gunman killed seven people and himself at a Baptist church in Fort Worth. And in 2017, a gunman with a ballistic vest strapped to his chest and a military-style rifle in his hands opened fire at a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, killing 26 people.
“Places of worship are meant to be sacred, and I am grateful for the church members who acted quickly to take down the shooter and help prevent further loss of life,” Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said in a statement about Sunday’s shooting.
When the police received reports of shots fired, off-duty officers down the street quickly responded and found an active shooting scene, said Mike Drivdahl, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Hours after the attack, police cars surrounded the church while a helicopter hovered overhead and onlookers leaned over yellow police tape at a nearby Waffle House. Officers brought in packages of bottled water as federal agents huddled in conversation. The Salvation Army gave out coffee from a truck.
John Richardson, a congregant, said he had put his wife, who uses a wheelchair, on the ground and got on top of her after hearing the initial gunfire. When he looked up, several members of church security had their guns drawn.
“My heart goes out to his family,” he said of the gunman, adding, “I don’t have any hate for this person.”
Last week at the church, congregants filled the wooden pews and sang together, according to a video of the service. Children ran to the stage to talk about why they were excited for Christmas, and a minister spoke about the benefits of pruning parts of life that no longer bear fruit.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/us/fort-worth-church-shooting.html
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