Evidence From Scene Reveals Texas Shooter Died From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

TX official: Evidence at scene suggests church shooting suspect 'may have died from a [...]

By Allison Schonter

Devin Patrick Kelley, the 26-year-old suspected of entering the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A Texas official told reporters Monday morning that evidence found at the scene where Kelley died indicates that he "may have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound." However, the cause and manner of Kelley's death will be officially determined by a pathologist after an autopsy is performed.

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It is reported that Kelley entered the rural Texas Church Sunday morning and fired his AR-556 rifle as he walked down the middle aisle and back. As he exited the church, a local resident grabbed his weapon, prompting Kelley to flee from the scene. Johnnie Langendoff and the other resident chased after Kelley in Langendoff's truck. Kelley eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed, hitting both a road sign and guard rail. He was discovered dead inside of his vehicle.

"The gentleman who got in my truck … all he really got out was, 'He just shot up the church. Follow him.' And, you know, that's enough for me to do anything, anything to help these people or to run the bad man down," Langendorff said. "He kind of started veering all over the place. He took out one road sign and from there he hit the guard rail and then hit the bar ditch."

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The shooting took the lives of 26 people, many of them children, and injured 20 more. It is the fifth deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

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