Texas church shooting: at least 26 dead

A gunman dressed in all black, tactical gear opened fire at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, around 11:30 a.m. ET. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history — and the fifth deadliest in modern US history.

At least 26 people were killed and more than 20 injured, officials say. Sources identified him as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26. He was found dead after brief car chase. He was previously in the Air Force and discharged for bad conduct, CNN reported.

Devin Kelly was court-martialed in 2012 for two counts of Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, assault on his spouse and assault on their child, according to Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. 

Kelley received a bad conduct discharge in 2014, confinement for 12 months and a reduction to the grade of E-1, she said. Kelley doesn't appear to be linked to organized terrorist groups.

US President Donald Trump released a statement on the Texas church shooting, echoing his comments to business leaders on Monday in Japan.

He believes the Texas church shooting was caused by a "mental health problem," not an issue with gun laws in the United States.

"Mental health is your problem here," Trump said, noting that "based on preliminary reports" the shooter was "a very deranged individual."

"This isn't a guns situation," Trump said. "This is a mental health problem at the highest level. It's a very, very sad event. A very, very sad event, but that's the way I view it".

Trump issued a proclamation late Sunday ordering that American flags flown at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, and military posts be flown at half-staff through sunset on Thursday.

The Russian Consul General in Houston, Texas, Alexander Pisarev, said that there were no foreigners among the victims and the wounded. "An official from the US Department of State contacted all the consulates saying that there were no foreigners among the shooting victims," TASS cited him as saying.