Two churchgoers were killed on Sunday when a gunman entered a Texas church and opened fire. The gunman was also killed after armed parishioners returned fire.
According to local news station KIRO 7, more than 240 parishioners were gathered inside West Freeway Church of Christ near Fort Worth, Texas, when a gunman began firing upon them. The gunman shot two members of the church before two members of the church’s security team drew their own weapons killing the shooter. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the Associated Press that the church security team “responded quickly and within six seconds, the shooting was over.” He added, “Two of the parishioners who were volunteers of the security force drew their weapons and took out the killer immediately, saving [an] untold number of lives.”
According to MedStar spokeswoman Macara Trusty, the gunman and one victim were initially pronounced dead at the hospital. Dallas Morning News reports that after going into cardiac arrest en route to a hospital, the shooter’s second victim was initially resuscitated. Unfortunately, later that evening, news stations reported that the second victim, too, had died.
Authorities have yet to release the names of the shooter or the victims, though one family member told NBC 5 affiliate KXAS-TV that her father was one of the victims killed.
Tiffany Wallace recalled the moment she noticed her father, Anton “Tony” Wallace, had been shot saying, “I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it,” KXAS-TV reports.
According to Dallas Morning News, two other churchgoers were treated for minor injuries that occurred when they were ducking for cover from the shooter.
Reportedly, the FBI is looking into the case. Without going into much detail, the agency shared Sunday evening that the shooter had been arrested in different jurisdictions.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Stewart F. House/Stringer
