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What we know about Devin Kelley, the suspect in the Sutherland Springs church shooting

Mark Abadi   

What we know about Devin Kelley, the suspect in the Sutherland Springs church shooting
Defense2 min read

sutherland springs church shooting texas

Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church following a shooting on November 5, 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

  • The suspect in the shooting at a Texas church on Sunday was identified as Devin Patrick Kelley.
  • Kelley was a 26-year-old white man from New Braunfels, Texas.
  • After killing at least 26 people in the church, Kelley was found dead in his car.


A gunman killed at least 26 people on Sunday after opening fire at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The suspected gunman, who several news outlets identified as Texas resident Devin Patrick Kelley, was fatally shot following a brief chase, officials said.

Here's everything we know about Kelley so far:

Who was Kelley?

devin kelley

CBS News

Devin Kelley.

State and federal authorities declined to identify the suspect, but news outlets identified him as Devin Kelley, a 26-year-old white man from New Braunfels, Texas, about 35 miles north of Sutherland Springs.

According to CBS News, Kelley served in the US Air Force from 2010 to 2014, when he was dishonorably discharged and court martialed. Officials said Kelley had no known links to terrorist groups.

Social-media users highlighted a post on Kelley's Facebook page which appears to show an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon - the same type of weapon used in Sunday's shooting - coupled with the caption "She's a bad b----."

CBS News reported that Kelley has a wife named Danielle Lee Shields.

Investigators raided Kelley's home Sunday evening, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

How did he carry out the shooting?

Kelley was spotted at a gas station in Sutherland Springs at 11:20 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to the timeline provided by an official from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

He then crossed the street, left his vehicle and began firing at First Baptist Church with a Ruger assault rifle. He was dressed in black tactical gear and a bulletproof vest.

Kelley entered the church and continued to fire, hitting several parishioners. When he exited the church, a local resident with a rifle "engaged" the suspect, the official said, at which point Kelley dropped his weapon, got into his car and fled the scene. The resident followed Kelley.

How did he die?

After a brief chase, law-enforcement officials found Kelley's vehicle on the side of the road in neighboring Guadalupe County. Kelley was found dead in the vehicle from a gunshot wound. Authorities said they did not know if Kelley had committed suicide or had been wounded by the resident who followed him.

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