A shooting at a Fort Worth, Texas church left at least two dead and one injured Sunday morning. According to PEOPLE, a man entered the West Freeway Church of Christ in the city of White Settlement at around 10 a.m. armed with a shotgun.
“It was the most scariest thing. You feel like your life is flashing before you. I was so worried about my little one.” Isabel Arreola said she witnessed the gunman walk up to a server during communion and open fire. LATEST: https://t.co/W0Mz2aurOo
— CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) December 29, 2019
The gunman opened fire, hitting at least three different people. One died at the scene, another died on the way to the local MedStar hospital and a third was left in critical condition. PEOPLE adds that the gunman was shot shortly after he opened fire but it is unclear if they were among those killed.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Worse yet, the shooting was caught on camera as part of a live-stream for the service. The video hosted by the church has since been made private but a screenshot shared by the New York Daily News shows the gunman and a security guard — a former FBI agent according to CBS DFW — holding firearms while the parishioners react with shock while moving for cover.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared a statement on Twitter noting he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear reports of a shooting at a church in White Settlement,” Paxton wrote.
As reports come in, please pray for any victims and their families, this congregation, and the law enforcement officials at the scene. My office will assist in any way needed.”
Statement on shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement: pic.twitter.com/Crrrvavvs6
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) December 29, 2019
Governor Greg Abbott also chimed in to denounce the act of violence and share thoughts for the deceased. Former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke also continued his focus on gun issues with his statement on the shooting.
“So saddened to hear about another church shooting in Texas, this one in White Settlement near Fort Worth,” O’Rourke shared on Twitter. “Clearly what we are doing in Texas, what we are doing in this country, when it comes to guns is not working.”
The identities of the victims or the gunman haven’t been released at this time. An eyewitness to the shooting did provide details on how the incident played out according to CBS DFW.
“A witness told CBS 11 News the gunman walked up to a server during communion with a shotgun and then opened fire,” the outlet reports. “According to the witness, another church member — identified as a former FBI agent and part of the church’s security — shot the suspect.”
This is the latest of several major shooting incidents to happen in Texas in 2019, with the deadliest coming in El Paso in August, leaving 22 dead and 24 injured at a Walmart store.
