Devin Kelley reportedly showed off his assault rifle on Facebook at the end of October, boasting that the weapon was a “bad b***h.”
Just days later, authorities said the 26-year-old walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and opened fire, killing at least 27 people before he was killed following a short chase. As ABC News noted, witnesses said the shooting took place in a short burst of gunfire, which lasted approximately 15 seconds.
While many details about the mass killing are still unclear, a picture is starting to emerge about Kelley’s background and some of his actions leading up to the deadly shooting.
Many news outlets are now sharing the Facebook picture Devin Kelley reportedly uploaded just days before the mass shooting, showing off what appeared to be a modified AR-15 rifle, similar to one reports indicated was used in the Texas church shooting. ABC News confirmed that the Facebook photo did indeed belong to Kelley.
Devin Kelley’s Facebook page was since taken down, but there were other clues from social media pages that remained online, ABC News noted.
“A LinkedIn account that is believed to be associated with the shooter suggested that he has a military background,” the report noted.
The page claimed that Kelley was enlisted in the Air Force between 2009 and 2013, though it has not yet been confirmed that the page belongs to Kelley and that the claims about his military history are true. It was not known why he left the service or what Kelley had done in the four years since leaving.
Other details are emerging about the alleged Texas church shooter. Kelley is reportedly from New Braunfels, Texas, a town close to 35 miles north of Sutherland Springs. There is some indication that he may have planned for more violence aside from the church shooting. ABC News reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is searching the suspect’s home for explosives. It was not known if he had any explosives with him during the shooting.
Police have not yet said if there is a motive for the deadly Texas church shooting, or what connection Devin Kelley have may had to the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.
[Featured Image by Darren Abate/AP Images]
