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Description
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Devin Patrick Kelley and the 2017 Sutherland Springs Church Mass Murder

Overview

On November 5, 2017, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire during Sunday worship at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people (including an unborn child) and wounding 20–22 others before fleeing and later dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being wounded by an armed neighbor. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history and the deadliest at an American house of worship.

Location and Time

The attack occurred at First Baptist Church, 216 4th Street, Sutherland Springs, Texas, beginning around 11:20 a.m. CST and lasting roughly 11 minutes.

The Attack

Kelley arrived wearing black tactical gear and a ballistic vest and carried a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle. He fired on people outside before entering the sanctuary through a side door and moving aisle to aisle, shooting congregants as he reloaded multiple 30-round magazines; investigators later documented about 15 empty magazines and roughly 450 rounds fired. As Kelley exited, neighbor Stephen Willeford engaged him with an AR-15, striking him and prompting a high-speed pursuit with Johnnie Langendorff. Kelley crashed and was found dead in his vehicle from a self-inflicted head wound. ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (9)
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Killer's Details

Kelley

Devin Patrick

11/5/2017

11:20 AM

216

4th St

Sutherland Springs

TX

Wilson County

78160

29.273077

-98.056567

Baptist church

26

69

165

2

1

1

Yes

Yes

3 Firearms

tactical gear, bulletproof vest

08/17/2025


Location: