An aerial view of the alleged gunman's car in neighbouring Guadalupe County
Devin Kelley has been named as the suspect in the Texas church massacre
A GUNMAN who stormed a Sunday church service and shot 26 people dead was booted out of the US Air Force for attacking his wife and kid
When Devin Kelley burst into the First Baptist Church, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, wielding a gun, not many would have expected him to join in in the worship of the Almighty. As he had only one thing in mind, he opened fire on the congregation. Those killed included a five-year-old child.
The US Air Force confirmed Kelley served in its ranks from 2010 and was posted to its Logistics Readiness unit at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
He was court-martialed in 2012 on charges of assaulting his wife and child, and given a bad-conduct discharge, confinement for 12 months and a reduction in rank, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.
The 14-year-old daughter of the church's pastor and a pregnant woman were also among those killed in the blood-soaked massacre in the quiet Texas town - which has a population of just 400.
The gunman was dressed in black, tactical-type gear and wearing a ballistic vest when he entered the church during the late morning service.
He fired a semi-automatic weapon into the congregation of about 50 in the middle of the service – stopping only to reload his gun.
County Sheriff Joe D. Tackitt Jr said there was "no way" for worshippers to escape the bloodshed.
Kelley attempted to flee the murder scene after being reportedly caught up in a gun battle with crack-shot plumber Stephen Willeford, 55, who began chasing him down.
The killer was found dead in his car alongside a cache of weapons after crashing the vehicle close to the border of a neighbouring county.
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