Devin Patrick Kelley’s Gun Was Obtained Illegally: The Gun Reportedly Used To Attack Sutherland Baptist Church
Devin Patrick Kelley has been identified as the armed suspect who is believed to have burst into the Sutherland First Baptist Church on Sunday at 11:20 a.m. and murdered 26 people. About 30 more were injured. The shooter was reportedly dressed in black and wearing a tactical vest. The murder weapon left at the scene was an AR-15-style Ruger assault rifle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
After a suspect, now being identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, reportedly dropped the AR-15 just outside the church, two local residents who lived or worked near the Sutherland First Baptist Church approached him with a shotgun. They fired on the armed suspect, exchanging gunfire. The two residents then reportedly pursued the suspect by vehicle into a neighboring county.
The armed suspect’s SUV ran off the road after a long pursuit, and Devin Patrick Kelley was discovered dead inside the vehicle. There were multiple firearms in Devin Kelley’s vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Sutherland Springs, Texas, is a small town of about 400 people, and Sutherland First Baptist Church is a small church with about 50 members regularly attending. Still, Sutherland Baptist Church was active with many outreach programs. Those killed or injured ranged in age from 5 to 72.
Who was Devin Patrick Kelley? The Daily Beast reports that Devin Kelley served in the United States Air Force from 2009 until 2013, but was court-martialed in November of 2012. Devin Patrick Kelley was sentenced to 12 months confinement, stripped of two levels of rank and given a bad conduct discharge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlNXRI13NjI
With a dishonorable discharge and after being court-martialed, it would be illegal for Devin Patrick Kelley to purchase or possess a firearm like an AR-15 in the United States, according to the Gun Trust Lawyer.
“The dishonorable discharge is based on a general court-martial conviction. This means the conviction is a felony, regardless of what the underlying offense may have been. The convicted felon is banned from possessing a firearm including Title II Firearms (a Silencer, SBR, SBS, AOW, or Machine Gun.)”
Devin Patrick Kelley could not legally own an assault rifle like the one used in the Sutherland First Baptist Church shooting, according to laws stated plainly by the Gun Trust Lawyer.
“A person who is convicted of a crime that is punishable by imprisonment for more than one year (including a dishonorable discharge) is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), a felon who is found guilty of gun possession may serve up to 10 years in prison.”
On his LinkedIn account, Devin Patrick Kelley stated his interests included “Animal Welfare,” “Children,” “Civil Rights and Social Action,” and “Human Rights” as explained in the Los Angeles Times. Devin Kelley’s Facebook page, however, displays an assault rifle.
Devin Patrick Kelley posted a photo of his AR-15 automatic rifle on his Facebook page, a week before the shooting. Devin Kelly risked 10 years in prison, with the photo as proof by doing so. Law enforcement may be unable to prove the gun pictured on Devin Kelley’s Facebook page is the same weapon used at the Sutherland First Baptist Church, but it appears to be either a similar AR-15 or the same.
Devin Patrick Kelley’s possession of a firearm was illegal, and the gun was therefore purchased illegally or given to him illegally. Yet Devin Patrick Kelley proudly posted his illegally-acquired gun on Facebook and no one reported that. The gun found at Sutherland First Baptist Church and the weapons in Devin Patrick Kelley’s vehicle could probably be traced to a purchaser and a seller.
There were other guns also in Devin Kelley’s possession found in his vehicle. Devin Patrick Kelley was a known felon.
Devin Patrick Kelley has been identified as the person found dead in the vehicle which fled after the Sutherland First Baptist Church shooting.
[Featured Image by KSAT/AP Images]
