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U.S. NEWS Monday 6 noveMber 2017
26 killed in church attack in Texas mass shooting

act,” and promised “more
details” from the state’s
Department of Public Safe-
ty soon.
Sutherland Springs is in a
rural area where communi-
ties are small and tight-knit.
The area is known for its
annual peanut festival in
Floresville, which was most
recently held last month.
“We’re shocked. Shocked
and dismayed,” said state
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Lar-
edo Democrat whose dis-
trict includes Sutherland
Springs.
“It’s especially shocking
when it’s such a small, se-
rene area. These rural ar-
Law enforcement officials works at the scene of a fatal shooting at the First Baptist Church in eas, they are so beautiful
Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. and so loving.”
(Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) Zaffirini said she had called
Continued from Front body’s going to be affect- that he was monitoring the several county and local
ed and everybody knows situation. officials but not been able
Sherri Pomeroy wrote in a someone who’s affected,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to get through and didn’t
text message to the AP that she said. called the shooting an “evil have any firm details. q
she and her husband were Regina Rodriguez arrived
out of town in two different at the church a couple of
states when the attack oc- hours after the shooting
curred. and walked up to the po-
“We lost our 14 year old lice barricade. She hugged
daughter today and many a person she was with. She
friends,” she wrote. “Nei- had been at an amuse-
ther of us have made it ment park with her children
back into town yet to per- when she heard of the
sonally see the devasta- shooting.
tion. I am at the charlotte She said her father, 51-year-
airport trying to get home old Richard Rodriguez, at-
as soon as i can.” tends the church every
The wounded were taken Sunday, and she hadn’t
to hospitals. been able to reach him.
Video on KSAT television She said she feared the
showed first responders worst.
taking a stretcher from the Nick Uhlig, 34, is a church
church to a waiting AirLife member who didn’t go
helicopter. Eight victims Sunday morning because
were taken by medical he- he was out late Saturday
licopter to the Brooke Army night.
Medical Center, the mili- He said his cousins were
tary hospital said. at the church and that
Megan Posey, a spokes- his family was told at least
woman for Connally Me- one of them, a woman
morial Medical Center, with three children and
which is in Floresville and pregnant with another, is
about 10 miles from the among the dead. He said
church, said “multiple” vic- he hadn’t heard specific
tims were being treated news about the other.
for gunshot wounds. She “We just gathered to bury
declined to give a specific their grandfather on Thurs-
number but said it was less day,” he said. “This is the
than a dozen. only church here. We
Alena Berlanga, a Flores- have Bible study, men’s
ville resident who was mon- Bible study, vacation Bible
itoring the chaos on a po- school.”
lice scanner and in Face- “Somebody went in and
book community groups, started shooting,” he said,
said everyone knows ev- shaking his head and tak-
eryone in the sparsely pop- ing a long drag of his ciga-
ulated county. rette.
“This is horrific for our tiny President Donald Trump
little tight-knit town,” said tweeted from Japan,
Alena Berlanga. “Every- where is his on an Asian trip,