A shooting at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, has resulted in two deaths and at least one injury, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Police received a call before 10 am local time about people with gunshot wounds at the church, which is located in a suburb of Fort Worth.
Macara Trusty, a spokeswoman for the ambulance service MedStar Mobile Healthcare, said two people died at the scene of the shooting, and a third person is in critical condition. One of the three is believed to be the suspected shooter, Forth Worth fire department officials said.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families that were affected by this incident,” Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Mike Drivdahl said.
This is a developing story. Here’s what we know, and don’t, so far.
What we know
According to WFAA,a live stream of the worship service showed a person pulling a large firearm out of their coat and firing it twice before another person shot back at them. That video is no longer available.
White Settlement Police Chief J.P. Bevering said two church members fired back at the suspect, stopping him.
Two people are believed to have been killed; officials said at least one person is critically wounded. A spokesperson for the healthcare organization MedStar said two additional people were treated for their wounds at the site of the shooting.
One of those killed was a church security guard who was attempting to stop the shooter, a church official told the New York Times.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and called for people to “pray for any victims and their families, this congregation, and the law enforcement officials at the scene.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the responses of parishioners, saying, “Places of worship are meant to be sacred, and I am grateful for the church members who acted quickly to take down the shooter and help prevent further loss of life.”
