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Two people have been killed in a church shooting near Fort Worth in Texas
Keith Thomas Kinnunen is the shooter from Sunday's attack. His motive remains unknown
The gunman in Sunday's church shooting in Texas has been identified as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen.
It remains unclear what his motive was, but he opened fire at the West Freeway Church in Fort Worth on Sunday.
Kinnunen had a criminal past which involved arrests for theft and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He killed two people - security guard Richard White, 67, and grandfather Anton 'Tony' Wallace, 64, who had just handed out communion - before being brought down by former FBI agent Jack Wilson, 70.
Police are yet to confirm a motive but the shooter's sister Amy said she believed he was on a suicide mission.
Sunday was the anniversary of their brother Joel's suicide, she said, and Keith may have been trying to kill himself in a shoot-out either with cops or other civilians.
It is unclear why he targeted the West Freeway Church.
Wilson is running for county commissioner in the local area and said he was grateful he had the chance to defend himself and the other innocent people in the church from the 'evil' gunman.
On Facebook, he said he hoped he would never be in the position he was put in but that he was thankful he could save lives.
'I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today.
'The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exist and I had to take out an active shooter in church.
'I’m thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed.
'Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding.'
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Anton 'Tony' Wallace, 64, (left) and Richard White, 67 (right) were both killed in the shooting on Sunday
Public records show he owns On Target Firearms. There are mixed reports over whether that is a gun store or a shooting school.
Wilson did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Monday morning.
He is an enthusiastic Trump supporter, Republican and gun owner whose campaign mission is to help law enforcement and restore the public respect police officers once enjoyed.
Wilson has been married for 51 years, has three daughters and some grandchildren.
Kinnunen has a lengthy criminal record which includes arrests for theft and aggravated assault
The 43-year-old is shown in a series of past mugshots. His motive for Sunday's attack is unknown
Two innocent people died including Anton 'Tony' Wallace, a registered nurse and deacon who had just given out communion when the shooting began.
Wallace's adult daughter watched in horror from her pew as her father was shot, then cradled him as he took last breaths.
Wallace's daughter Tiffany ran towards him then held him as he took his last breaths, she revealed in an interview on Sunday night.
'I ran toward my dad and the last thing I remember is him asking for oxygen and I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it,' she told NBC.
'It just happened so fast,' she added.
Wilson, 70, is running for County Commissioner. He said he was 'blessed with the ability' to protect the other parishioners
Jack with his wife of 51 years, Margaret. He previously worked as a sheriff, and says he continues to work with law enforcement at a federal level
Wilson is pictured laying a wreath at the grave of a soldier in a military cemetery earlier this year
Tiffany said the shooter appeared to target one of two volunteer security guards first.
'The guy just stood up from the pew, turned toward my dad and I guess he shot at the security guard,' she said, adding that she was at a loss over the senseless violence.
'You just wonder why? How can someone so evil, the devil, step into the church and do this,' she said.
Wilson has been universally praised as a hero for taking out the gunman within seconds of the shooting.
The other security guard who was at the church and who died has not yet been named.
An elder at the church told The New York Times he was a dear friend.
'He was trying to do what he needed to do to protect the rest of us,' said elder, Mike Tinius.
'It's extremely upsetting to see anyone committing violence,' he added.
Tiffany Wallace, the deacon's daughter, was watching in the pews as the gunman opened fire. She ran towards her father after he was shot and held him as he took his final breaths
Wallace was a registered nurse, husband, father and grandfather. His family say they are at a loss over the senseless violence
The FBI is investigating the shooting.
They the gunman was 'relatively transient' but was known to have connections to the area.
Church goers who survived the shooting say they had never seen him before.
A woman whose mother was sat next to him said she thought he was behaving strangely and that she noticed she had never seen him before.
'She's the one who recognized that he had a fake beard on, sunglasses and he had writing on the back of his jacket.
Tributes poured in to White, who was also a grandfather and father, alongside volunteering for the church security team
'She knew from growing up at church that she didn't recognize this gentleman.
The moment she saw the shotgun come out, she went under the bench and hid,' Davis told WFAA.
She added that she was giving 'glory to God' that her mother survived.
The volunteer security team has been in place at the church for at least a decade, according to sources.
Minister Jack Cummings said: 'They saved a lot of lives today because this thing would have been a massacre otherwise.
'He was immediately hit by one of our marksmen. The next thing I know, he was lying on the floor.'
Witnesses said the shooting occurred as the communion was about to end Sunday morning. Loved ones hug one another outside the church
MedStar Mobile Healthcare spokeswoman Macara Trusty said two people were fatally shot at the West Freeway Church of Christ (officers outside the church) in White Settlement
A gunman has killed one person and critically injured another inside a packed Texas church during a livestreamed service before he was shot dead by an armed member of the congregation.
MedStar Mobile Healthcare spokeswoman Macara Trusty said two people were fatally shot at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, which is about 8 miles west of Fort Worth.
Trusty said she was told by a supervisor at the scene that one of the people who died was the shooter.
A third person is in critical condition and is being treated at a hospital. All of the victims are male, she said.
Two more people were treated for minor injuries at the scene, Trusty said. They have since been treated and released.
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The service at the West Freeway Church of Christ was being live-streamed at the time of the shooting (screen grab is seen above)
While the shots were being fired, people ducked under church pews as a church leader tries to calm people down
The shooting was reported Sunday morning during the 10am service at the church. The service was being live-streamed at the time of the shooting.
Authorities have not released any details about what led to the shooting.
An elder at the church told the New York Times that one of those killed was a security guard who responded to the shooter, calling him a dear friend.
'He was trying to do what he needed to do to protect the rest of us,' said elder, Mike Tinius.
'It's extremely upsetting to see anyone committing violence,' he added.
Tinius said he didn't know the gunman and that the shooting appeared to be random.
A witness told CBS 11 that the armed man walked up to a server during the communion and opened fire.
'You feel like your life is flashing before you. I was so worried about my little one,' witness Isabel Arreola said.
Video of the livestream shows a person wearing a large coat, with the hood covering his head, standing up and walking over toward another man at the back of the room.
The shooter appears to say something to the man, prompting him to point in a direction at the back of the church.
In a matter of seconds, the shooter whips out what appears to be a shotgun and fires two rounds.
One of the shots hits a man who stood up in the back of the church and the other shot hits the man the victim had spoken too.
After the second shot was fired, the gunman attempted to flee the scene before he was shot by an armed member of the congregation.
Trusty said she was told by a supervisor at the scene that one of the people who died was the shooter. A third person in critical condition and is being treated at a hospital. All of the victims are male, she said. Authorities outside the church Sunday morning
According to one member of the church, the gunman had spoken to one of the deacons in the back of the church before he opened fire.
The member wrote on Facebook that another deacon 'who is a concealed carry instruction, and retired law enforcement officer, shot the guy before he could fire a third time!'
That deacon has not been identified but according to CBS 11, he is actually a former FBI agent and part of the church's security.
While the shots were being fired, people ducked under church pews and at least five others rushed towards the shooter with handguns.
A church leader then tries to calm people down, while members of the congregation scream, cry and run towards the exits.
In a statement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said: 'Our hearts go out to the victims and families of those killed in the evil act of violence that occurred at the West Freeway Church of Christ.
'Places of worship are meant to be sacred and I am grateful for the church member who acted quickly to take down the shooter and help prevent further loss of life.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was 'shocked and saddened' to hear about the shooting.
'As reports come in, please pray for any victims and their families, this congregation, and the law enforcement officials at the scene. My office will assist in any way needed,' he added.
White Settlement police have not responded to requests for comment. An investigation is ongoing.
It is not the first deadly shooting to take place at a church in Texas.
In November 2017, Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire on the congregation at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing more than two dozen worshippers, before taking his own life.
Comment
I just wonder, if they saw that he was in a disguise, why didn't they stop and search him. The worst that could have happened that the parishioner would have gotten mad and walked out. While the security team took him out before he could do more damage, he shouldn't have been able to do the damage that he did. Stop and frisk so no more tears.
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