West Freeway Church of Christ shooting
The West Freeway Church of Christ shooting took place on December 29, 2019, in White Settlement, Texas, in the United States. Two people in the congregation were killed before the gunman was fatally shot by 71-year-old Jack Wilson, a volunteer security team member. The attack was live-streamed, as are all services at the church.[2] Video of the shooting appeared online in real time, and was captured, leading to multiple posts on Twitter, YouTube and Rumble with videos showing the shooting and aftermath.
| West Freeway Church of Christ shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of gun violence in the United States | |
| Location | 1900 S Las Vegas Trail White Settlement, Texas, U.S. |
| Date | December 29, 2019 |
Attack type | Shooting |
| Weapons | Sawed-off shotgun (12-gauge) |
| Deaths | 3 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrator | Keith Thomas Kinnunen |
| Defenders | Jack Wilson[1] |
Shooting
The perpetrator shot and killed two members of the church before he was fatally shot by Jack Wilson, the head of the church's security[3] ending the attack within six seconds. The victims were Anton Wallace, age 64, and Richard White, age 67.[4] Wilson is a firearms instructor and a former reserve deputy sheriff in Hood County, Texas.[5][1]
The perpetrator, wearing a fake beard and a hat, briefly spoke to Anton Wallace before drawing a shotgun and leveling it. Upon the perpetrator drawing his shotgun, churchgoer Richard White and Jack Wilson both drew their pistols. However, as they were drawing their pistols, the perpetrator opened fire, killing White with a single shot before immediately turning and firing his second shot at Wallace, killing him. The perpetrator then turned to his left, presumably to open fire on the crowd, and was then shot dead by Wilson. [6]
Wilson indicated that five or six other members of the church assembly also drew their own weapons in response to the shooting.[5][1]
Perpetrator
The gunman was identified as 43-year old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, of River Oaks, Texas.[7] He was wearing a fake beard and a wig and immediately raised the suspicions of the security deacons serving the church.[8]
Reaction
Given that a church member shot and killed the attacker with concealed carry preventing more lives from being taken, gun-rights advocates have used the shooting to demonstrate the benefits of concealed carry.[9]
Critics such as Michael Bloomberg responded to the shooting by saying that only law enforcement officers should be allowed to carry guns and make decisions on when to shoot active shooters.[10]
See also
References
- "Armed parishioner says he's 'no hero,' as new details emerge about the Texas church shooter". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- Levenson, Eric; Toropin, Konstantin; Vera, Amir (30 December 2019). "Texas pastor says he knew and helped the gunman before the shooting". CNN.
- Sakmari, Elvira; Heinz • •, Frank (30 December 2019). "Church's Head of Security Says He 'Killed an Evil,' Not a Human in Taking Down Gunman". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- "Police: Parishioners kill man who fatally shoots 2 at church". Associated Press. December 30, 2019.
- "Church's Head of Security Says He 'Killed an Evil,' Not a Human in Taking Down Gunman". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- "BREAKING: Video shows gunman open fire at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas before being shot dead by armed security; the service was being live-streamed on YouTube". Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- Gordon, Scott (December 30, 2019). "'We Knew He Was Crazy, But Not Like This,' Ex-Wife of Church Gunman Says". NBC.
- "Texas church shooter wore suspicious wig and fake beard, says security head who shot him | National Post". National Post. December 31, 2019.
- Kusisto, Laura (December 31, 2019). "Gun-Rights Advocates See Lessons in Texas Church Shooting". The Wall Street Journal.
- "Michael Bloomberg's outrageous response to the Texas church shooting". Washington Examiner. 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-10.