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| Inside a Texas Church, Guns, Bibles and a Spirited Firearms Debate | Inside a Texas Church, Guns, Bibles and a Spirited Firearms Debate |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Midway through a Sunday church service in the suburbs of Fort Worth, an all-too-familiar scene began to unfold: A man in a trench coat rose from the pews, pulled out a shotgun and opened fire, prompting terrified churchgoers to dive for cover. | WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Midway through a Sunday church service in the suburbs of Fort Worth, an all-too-familiar scene began to unfold: A man in a trench coat rose from the pews, pulled out a shotgun and opened fire, prompting terrified churchgoers to dive for cover. |
| But this was Texas, where a pair of state laws adopted since 2017 not only authorize armed security details at houses of worship, but also allow parishioners to bring their own weapons to church. | But this was Texas, where a pair of state laws adopted since 2017 not only authorize armed security details at houses of worship, but also allow parishioners to bring their own weapons to church. |
| Within seconds, a volunteer security guard near the back of the West Freeway Church of Christ pulled out his Sig Sauer pistol and fired back. One after another, at least half a dozen other parishioners drew their own weapons and began moving up the aisles. | Within seconds, a volunteer security guard near the back of the West Freeway Church of Christ pulled out his Sig Sauer pistol and fired back. One after another, at least half a dozen other parishioners drew their own weapons and began moving up the aisles. |
| A woman in one of the middle pews, holding a handgun aloft, calmly guided terrified churchgoers to safety as the pastor crawled down from the pulpit on all fours. | A woman in one of the middle pews, holding a handgun aloft, calmly guided terrified churchgoers to safety as the pastor crawled down from the pulpit on all fours. |
| “How many more would be lost if we hadn’t had a good guy with a gun?” Texas State Representative Jonathan Stickland said in a statement calling for even fewer restrictions on carrying firearms. “We need more of them.” | “How many more would be lost if we hadn’t had a good guy with a gun?” Texas State Representative Jonathan Stickland said in a statement calling for even fewer restrictions on carrying firearms. “We need more of them.” |
| President Trump weighed in late Monday with a similar message on Twitter: “Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!” | President Trump weighed in late Monday with a similar message on Twitter: “Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!” |
| In the nation’s long debate over mass shootings, gun rights advocates have long argued that a well-armed public is a more effective immediate response than trying to place new limits on buying and using firearms. | In the nation’s long debate over mass shootings, gun rights advocates have long argued that a well-armed public is a more effective immediate response than trying to place new limits on buying and using firearms. |
| The shooting on Sunday has been seized on by some lawmakers in Texas as an example of how more gun-friendly laws can help save lives. Mr. Stickland, a Republican from the Fort Worth suburbs, renewed his call for a “constitutional carry” law that would allow any legal gun owner to carry a weapon anywhere without a permit. | The shooting on Sunday has been seized on by some lawmakers in Texas as an example of how more gun-friendly laws can help save lives. Mr. Stickland, a Republican from the Fort Worth suburbs, renewed his call for a “constitutional carry” law that would allow any legal gun owner to carry a weapon anywhere without a permit. |
| “We can’t prevent mental illness from occurring, and we can’t prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun,” Ken Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, said outside the church in White Settlement. “But we can be prepared like this church was.” | “We can’t prevent mental illness from occurring, and we can’t prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun,” Ken Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, said outside the church in White Settlement. “But we can be prepared like this church was.” |
| But that notion has been ridiculed by gun control advocates, who argue that taking high-powered weaponry out of the hands of dangerous individuals can save even more lives. | But that notion has been ridiculed by gun control advocates, who argue that taking high-powered weaponry out of the hands of dangerous individuals can save even more lives. |
| “It’s not rocket science,” said State Representative Mary Gonzalez, a Democrat from El Paso. “There are so many things that could be done that we just haven’t been doing in the state. We are not trying to take away guns. We’re just trying to make sure guns are not in the hands of the wrong people.” | “It’s not rocket science,” said State Representative Mary Gonzalez, a Democrat from El Paso. “There are so many things that could be done that we just haven’t been doing in the state. We are not trying to take away guns. We’re just trying to make sure guns are not in the hands of the wrong people.” |
| The gunman in Sunday’s shooting was brought down by a single shot fired by a member of the church’s volunteer security team, the authorities said. The security volunteer, Jack Wilson, is a firearms instructor and gun range owner who has been a reserve deputy with a local sheriff’s department. | The gunman in Sunday’s shooting was brought down by a single shot fired by a member of the church’s volunteer security team, the authorities said. The security volunteer, Jack Wilson, is a firearms instructor and gun range owner who has been a reserve deputy with a local sheriff’s department. |
| A video of the attack, captured on a livestream of Sunday’s church service, showed that Mr. Wilson took only six seconds to kill the gunman, identified by the authorities as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, a drifter who had a string of arrests in various states for assault and other crimes. His most recent address was about six miles from the church. | A video of the attack, captured on a livestream of Sunday’s church service, showed that Mr. Wilson took only six seconds to kill the gunman, identified by the authorities as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, a drifter who had a string of arrests in various states for assault and other crimes. His most recent address was about six miles from the church. |
| “The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in,” Mr. Wilson said in a Facebook post early Monday, adding, “But evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed.” | “The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in,” Mr. Wilson said in a Facebook post early Monday, adding, “But evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed.” |
| West Freeway Church of Christ’s volunteer security team is one of a number of measures adopted by churches, synagogues and mosques across the country as the number of mass shootings targeting worshipers continues to increase. | West Freeway Church of Christ’s volunteer security team is one of a number of measures adopted by churches, synagogues and mosques across the country as the number of mass shootings targeting worshipers continues to increase. |
| “When I first started, a lot of churches were reluctant to even talk about that,” said Steven Padin, a retired Buffalo police officer and the chief consultant for the Watchman’s Academy, which focuses on church safety. “It’s a sad situation that more and more churches are becoming aware of it because of the way society is going.” | “When I first started, a lot of churches were reluctant to even talk about that,” said Steven Padin, a retired Buffalo police officer and the chief consultant for the Watchman’s Academy, which focuses on church safety. “It’s a sad situation that more and more churches are becoming aware of it because of the way society is going.” |
| At Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, an African-American congregation outside Atlanta that had been the intended target of a recently foiled plot, members spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving in an active-shooter training session led by the local police. | At Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, an African-American congregation outside Atlanta that had been the intended target of a recently foiled plot, members spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving in an active-shooter training session led by the local police. |
| “What security measures can you do every time you meet as a people to protect yourselves from a threat coming?” Jay Parrish, the chief of police in Gainesville, Ga., asked the group to contemplate. “We have to have that mind-set unfortunately.” | “What security measures can you do every time you meet as a people to protect yourselves from a threat coming?” Jay Parrish, the chief of police in Gainesville, Ga., asked the group to contemplate. “We have to have that mind-set unfortunately.” |
| Texas, which has some of the nation’s least restrictive gun laws, has been buffeted in recent years with a string of mass shootings. An attack in August at a Walmart in El Paso left 20 people dead, and 10 students were killed at a high school in the city of Santa Fe last year. A shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs in 2017 killed 26 people and helped intensify a push by Republican lawmakers to loosen restrictions on guns in churches. | Texas, which has some of the nation’s least restrictive gun laws, has been buffeted in recent years with a string of mass shootings. An attack in August at a Walmart in El Paso left 20 people dead, and 10 students were killed at a high school in the city of Santa Fe last year. A shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs in 2017 killed 26 people and helped intensify a push by Republican lawmakers to loosen restrictions on guns in churches. |
| Just this year, laws were passed to allow the carrying of guns after natural disasters and to prevent landlords from disallowing gun ownership for their tenants. Another law on church security, going further than the 2017 law, took effect in September. It allows congregants to bring legally owned guns to church even if the church had not specifically invited such measures. | Just this year, laws were passed to allow the carrying of guns after natural disasters and to prevent landlords from disallowing gun ownership for their tenants. Another law on church security, going further than the 2017 law, took effect in September. It allows congregants to bring legally owned guns to church even if the church had not specifically invited such measures. |
| Similar legislation has been debated across the country, including in Missouri, where a proposal to remove churches from the state’s list of gun-free zones has faced opposition from religious groups, including Roman Catholic leaders. Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis said last year that the bill then under consideration would “broaden Second Amendment rights at the expense of the First Amendment right of religious liberty,” according to an article by Religion News Service. | Similar legislation has been debated across the country, including in Missouri, where a proposal to remove churches from the state’s list of gun-free zones has faced opposition from religious groups, including Roman Catholic leaders. Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis said last year that the bill then under consideration would “broaden Second Amendment rights at the expense of the First Amendment right of religious liberty,” according to an article by Religion News Service. |
| The push for the legislation in Texas gained traction after the shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Frank Pomeroy, the church’s pastor, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed, said the congregants’ response in White Settlement showed the role that well-trained armed security can play in saving lives. | The push for the legislation in Texas gained traction after the shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Frank Pomeroy, the church’s pastor, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed, said the congregants’ response in White Settlement showed the role that well-trained armed security can play in saving lives. |
| “That’s why the shooting yesterday was stopped in just a few seconds,” Mr. Pomeroy, now a Republican candidate for the State Senate, said. “Praise God!” | “That’s why the shooting yesterday was stopped in just a few seconds,” Mr. Pomeroy, now a Republican candidate for the State Senate, said. “Praise God!” |
| As officials lavished praise on the armed volunteers’ efforts, some Texans argued that it is important not just to allow weapons into churches, but also to train people to use them. | As officials lavished praise on the armed volunteers’ efforts, some Texans argued that it is important not just to allow weapons into churches, but also to train people to use them. |
| “Just being there with a gun is not enough,” said Chuck Chadwick, the leader of the National Organization of Church Security and Safety, who runs a Texas-based security service for churches. “You’ve got to be trained enough to be able to carry out what you need to do in the time you have to do it.” | “Just being there with a gun is not enough,” said Chuck Chadwick, the leader of the National Organization of Church Security and Safety, who runs a Texas-based security service for churches. “You’ve got to be trained enough to be able to carry out what you need to do in the time you have to do it.” |
| On Monday, more than a dozen cars were parked outside the khaki-colored brick church in White Settlement, a community of roughly 18,000 people. “We’re doing O.K.,” Britt Farmer, the senior minister who had leapt to the floor after the gunfire rang out, said at the front entrance to a church office. | On Monday, more than a dozen cars were parked outside the khaki-colored brick church in White Settlement, a community of roughly 18,000 people. “We’re doing O.K.,” Britt Farmer, the senior minister who had leapt to the floor after the gunfire rang out, said at the front entrance to a church office. |
| Jack Cummings, another minister at the church, said that he was simply “numb,” having already been shaken by the recent death of his wife from ovarian cancer. “I just lost my wife, and now this,” he said. | Jack Cummings, another minister at the church, said that he was simply “numb,” having already been shaken by the recent death of his wife from ovarian cancer. “I just lost my wife, and now this,” he said. |
| Mr. Kinnunen, 43, had been arrested a number of times in the Fort Worth area for charges that included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Then in 2016, he was arrested in Linden, N.J., after police found him with a 12-gauge shotgun and rounds in the area of a Phillips 66 refinery, according to a news report in mycentraljersey.com at the time. | Mr. Kinnunen, 43, had been arrested a number of times in the Fort Worth area for charges that included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Then in 2016, he was arrested in Linden, N.J., after police found him with a 12-gauge shotgun and rounds in the area of a Phillips 66 refinery, according to a news report in mycentraljersey.com at the time. |
| Mr. Kinnunen told the Linden police that he was traveling from Texas but was homeless, and was taking photos of interesting sites, the report said. At the time, he was wanted on a court warrant in Oklahoma for felony aggravated assault. | Mr. Kinnunen told the Linden police that he was traveling from Texas but was homeless, and was taking photos of interesting sites, the report said. At the time, he was wanted on a court warrant in Oklahoma for felony aggravated assault. |
| Mr. Kinnunen faced charges of speeding, theft, assault and disorderly conduct in Pima County, Ariz., between 2003 and 2014, petit larceny in Las Vegas in 2011, theft in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., in 2010, and aggravated assault and battery in 2011 and arson in 2012 in Grady County, Okla. | Mr. Kinnunen faced charges of speeding, theft, assault and disorderly conduct in Pima County, Ariz., between 2003 and 2014, petit larceny in Las Vegas in 2011, theft in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., in 2010, and aggravated assault and battery in 2011 and arson in 2012 in Grady County, Okla. |
| As brief as it was, the attack resulted in two fatalities: Anton Wallace, 64, and Richard White, 67, both of the Fort Worth area. | As brief as it was, the attack resulted in two fatalities: Anton Wallace, 64, and Richard White, 67, both of the Fort Worth area. |
| Mr. Wallace’s daughter, Tiffany Wallace, told KXAS-TV, a Dallas station, that her father was a deacon at the church and had just handed out communion when the gunman approached him. | Mr. Wallace’s daughter, Tiffany Wallace, told KXAS-TV, a Dallas station, that her father was a deacon at the church and had just handed out communion when the gunman approached him. |
| “I ran toward my dad, and the last thing I remember is him asking for oxygen,” Ms. Wallace told the station. “And I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it.” | “I ran toward my dad, and the last thing I remember is him asking for oxygen,” Ms. Wallace told the station. “And I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it.” |
| Misty York White, Mr. White’s daughter-in-law, called him a hero. “You stood up against evil and sacrificed your life,” she wrote on Facebook. “You have always been a hero to us but the whole world is seeing you as a hero now.” | Misty York White, Mr. White’s daughter-in-law, called him a hero. “You stood up against evil and sacrificed your life,” she wrote on Facebook. “You have always been a hero to us but the whole world is seeing you as a hero now.” |
| Investigators said on Monday that the motive for the attack remained under investigation. But a Facebook account that appears to belong to Mr. Kinnunen’s sister, Amy Dawn, contained a post in which she said the shooting had occurred on the birthday of their younger brother, Joel, who had killed himself 10 years earlier. | |
| “My brother Keith committed double murder yesterday,” she wrote in a raw stream of words, calling it “a suicide by cop.” She said that she and her siblings had a tough childhood, raised by an absent mother who watched television and slept all day and a father who did not speak to them. | |
| “He was close to the Lord, why I feel he chose a church,” she wrote of the attack. | “He was close to the Lord, why I feel he chose a church,” she wrote of the attack. |
| “My heart is broken for my loves,” she said. “The demons won.” | “My heart is broken for my loves,” she said. “The demons won.” |
| Dave Montgomery reported from White Settlement, Texas, Rick Rojas from Atlanta, Anemona Hartecollis from New York, and Mitch Smith from Chicago. Mihir Zaveri contributed reporting from New York, and Audra D.S. Burch from Gainesville, Ga. Alain Delaqueriere contributed research. | Dave Montgomery reported from White Settlement, Texas, Rick Rojas from Atlanta, Anemona Hartecollis from New York, and Mitch Smith from Chicago. Mihir Zaveri contributed reporting from New York, and Audra D.S. Burch from Gainesville, Ga. Alain Delaqueriere contributed research. |