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Published On: Mon, Nov 6th, 2017

Texas shooter identified as ‘creepy weird atheists’ Devin Kelley, at least 26 dead, 20 more injured

The Texas church shooter who gunned 26 people and injured 24 others has been identified as Devin Patrick Kelley and described as “creepy,” “crazy,” “weird” and an “outcast” who “preached his atheism” online.

Kelley, 26, stormed the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs in Texas and opened fire on Sunday, murdering over two dozen church goers, including the pastor’s teen daughter.

“We are dealing with the largest mass shooting in our state’s history,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference.

Patrick Boyce, who attended New Braunfels High School with the killer, told DailyMail.com: “He had a kid or two, fairly normal, but kinda quiet and lately seemed depressed. He was the first atheist I met. He went Air Force after high school, got discharged but I don’t know why.

Devin Kelley

“I was just shocked [to hear the news]. Still haven’t quite processed how he could have done that.”

From another student, the Mail quoted them as saying that Kelly “talking about how people who believe in God we’re stupid and trying to preach his atheism.”

Authorities say Kelley initially stopped at a gas station across the highway from the small church, wearing black tactical gear and a ballistic vest. He began firing outside of the church 11:20 a.m. local time, spraying the side of the building with bullets. Kelley then continued his shooting inside, where the service was in progress.

A local resident grabbed Kelley’s rifle, forcing him to drop it and flee. The resident pursued Kelley, who drove off the road and crashed. Kelley was found dead, but little has been reported on his motive. It has not been confirmed he was killed during the firefight with the resident or if it was suicide.

The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72.First Baptist Church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, and his wife, Sherri Pomeroy, were traveling out of the state when the shooting occurred. They have confirmed their 14-year-old daughter is among those murdered.

At least eight of the people killed were members of one family, according to a relative and a community leader.

A woman who was about five months pregnant and three of her children were killed. The pregnant woman’s brother-in-law and his young child were also killed, according to the community leader.

Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, confirmed that Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 on two charges of assaulting his spouse and their child. He was confined for a year, given a bad conduct discharge and reduced in rank to E-1, or airman basic, Stefanek said.

A search of criminal records in Comal County, where Kelley lived, yielded only minor violations — driving with an expired registration, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving without insurance.

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About the Author

- Catherine "Kaye" Wonderhouse, a proud descendant of the Wunderhaus family is the Colorado Correspondent who will add more coverage, interviews and reports from this midwest area.

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