Vice President Mike Pence announced on Tuesday that he was heading to Texas. A small town about 30 miles away from San Antonio was the scene of a horrific shooting Sunday morning, as an armed madman stormed into a small church and opened fire on the congregants.
Almost no one escaped. 26 people are dead and nearly two dozen more are injured.
Pence plans to fly to Texas on Wednesday. President Trump is abroad; Washington’s approach to the crisis depends on Pence.
“Police have identified the shooter as Devin Kelley, 26. Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 for assaulting his then-wife and child, and was he discharged from the Air Force two years later,” the Hill reports.
“Authorities said Kelley’s mother-in-law attended the church, and she had received threatening text messages from him prior to the shooting.”
Kelley was obviously a maniac. Trump wasted no time claiming that the shooter’s vile actions were motivated by a severe mental health disease. Pence, so far, has been more sedate.
Kelley destroyed an entire town. Less than a thousand people live in Sutherland Springs, the site of the attack. Everyone knows each other; it’s impossible to live in the town and not be affected by the tragedy.
The victims ranged in age from 18 months to 76. Reports indicate that the majority of the dead are children. It’s horrifying.
Pence is going to Texas in support of the victims. He can’t bring those who were lost, but he can let the survivors know that they’re not alone.
Karen & I will travel to #SutherlandSprings on Wednesday to meet w/families of the fallen, injured & law enforcement. We are with you Texas
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) November 6, 2017
(Source: The Hill)