On November 5th, 26-year- old Devin Patrick Kelley murdered 26 men, women and children. The shooting took place in a church, in Sutherland Spring, Texas, a small town on the outskirts of San Antonio, with a population of 600.

Prior to this massacre, Kelley served in the United States Air force as an airman basic for five years, from 2009 to 2014, in logistic readiness at Holloman Airforce Base in New Mexico.

In 2012, Kelley was admitted to Peak Behavioral Health institute for physically abusing his wife and stepson, but later escaped to be found at a nearby bus station. Ever since then, friends and family stated he was not the same person mentally. His sister, Holly Hannum, said, “Before, he would have given you the shirt off his back and would’ve helped you do anything, but after he escaped, something felt off.”

As of November 8th, his motive for shooting many at a small-town church is unknown, but it
does ensue fear in many people.

Sophomore Gabrielle Lenzen says, “Knowing that this shooting happened in such a rural area, it is scary to imagine the possibilities of something like this happening in a bigger city or town.”

She also said, “If this were to happen in Fishhawk [it] would be terrifying. Many people that I know attend church, and for something like this to happen to them would be unthinkable.”

Many people ranging from elders in their seventies to unborn children were shot dead. One of these people was Annabelle Pomeroy. Pomeroy was a 14-year-old girl, who happened to be the pastor’s daughter.

In addition to this, 16-year-old Haley Krueger also passed away. Claims state that she was a vibrant 16-year-old, who loved life.

Even though this shooting may seem like a once in a lifetime disaster, it is not. In June of 2015, Dylann Roof shot and killed nine African Americans in a Charleston church. Furthermore, in the city Antioch, Tennessee, in 2017, Melanie Smith, a 39-year old woman was shot and killed in the parking lot of a church.

Many people have died, not just in America, but around the world due to mass shootings. As of right now, many people are trying to find ways to prevent this from happening again, but only time will tell if they will work.