Several Casualties Reported in Texas Church Shooting
by Daniella Silva, Rima Abdelkader and Andrew Blankstein
Multiple people were reported killed after a gunman opened fire in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, an official said.
A single shooter walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs and opened fire, Wilson County Commissioner Albert Gamez Jr. told NBC News.
Special Report: Texas Church Shooting Leaves Multiple Dead
Gamez said he had spoken to the sheriff and other officials who said there were multiple fatalities and multiple wounded, but it was not immediately clear how many were dead or injured.
Several other law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation also said "multiple" people had been killed, with as many as 15 injured. The FBI and ATF were headed to the scene, the sources said.
A spokesperson for the Wilson County Sheriff's Office had described it as an "active shooter" incident.
Later, from the scene of the shooting, Gamez said on MSNBC that he had heard from officials there that up to 24 people may have died.
He added that he had been told that deputies were in pursuit of the suspect after the gunman fled the scene of the church.
Texas Official Speaks On The Church Shooting 3:10
But the shooter was now "deceased," Gamez said, adding that it was not clear if the gunman shot himself or was taken down by authorities.
"Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act,"
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on Twitter. "Our thanks to law enforcement for their response."
Sherri Pomeroy, the wife of church pastor Frank Pomeroy, told NBC News that her husband was out of town at the time of the reported shooting but that her daughter was inside the church.
First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Google Earth