A Small Texas Town Mourns An Enormous Loss, In Photos
Residents of Sutherland Springs, Texas, gathered at the town's post office for a vigil on Sunday night. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Residents of Sutherland Springs, Texas, gathered at the town's post office for a vigil on Sunday night.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty ImagesSutherland Springs is a small South Texas town, about 45 minutes southeast of San Antonio. On Sunday morning, some of its residents went to services at the First Baptist Church downtown.
Then a gunman shattered the calm of the morning. Devin Patrick Kelley, a 26-year-old from New Braunfels, a city 35 miles north, arrived dressed in black, wearing body armor and firing an assault-style rifle. He shot at the church building itself. And then he went inside and fired on the worshippers. He killed at least 26 people and wounded some 20 others.
As evening fell, residents gathered at the Sutherland Springs Post Office on U.S. Highway 87 to light candles, grieve, remember those who were lost and to pray for the survivors.
A law enforcement officer stands in front of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where a gunman killed 26 people on Sunday. Eric Gay/AP hide caption
A law enforcement officer stands in front of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where a gunman killed 26 people on Sunday.
Eric Gay/AP
Investigators continued to assess the scene at the church early Monday morning. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Investigators continued to assess the scene at the church early Monday morning.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
A mourner holds a candle for those killed on Sunday. Some were members of the same families, and ranged in age from only 18 months to 77. Darren Abate/AP hide caption
A mourner holds a candle for those killed on Sunday. Some were members of the same families, and ranged in age from only 18 months to 77.
Darren Abate/AP
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott comforted a local resident during the candlelight vigil. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott comforted a local resident during the candlelight vigil.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images
Sutherland Springs is tight-knit community of fewer than 1,000 people. On Sunday, its residents came together to confront their devastating loss. Laura Skelding/AP hide caption
Sutherland Springs is tight-knit community of fewer than 1,000 people. On Sunday, its residents came together to confront their devastating loss.
Laura Skelding/AP