Texas gunman killed wife’s grandmother in Sunday church shooting

Texas church shooting suspect Devin Patrick Kelley reportedly killed his wife’s grandmother during Sunday’s massacre that left 26 dead.

CNN reports that Lula White, 71, was among the dozens of parishioners killed when Kelley, 26, opened fire at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

“My sister was a wonderful, caring person—a God-loving person. She loved the people in her church. They were all her best friends,” Mary Mishler Clyburn, 74, tearfully told the New York Daily News.

“I miss her badly already. We texted every day. We loved each other to the moon and back.”

Clyburn went on to confirm that White’s daughter is Michelle Shields, 54, the mother of Kelley’s second wife, Danielle. Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin revealed Monday that Kelley sent multiple threatening texts to Shields, who also attended First Baptist Church, the New York Post reported.

“This was not racially motivated. It wasn’t over religious beliefs,” Martin commented Monday. “There was a domestic situation going on with the family and in-laws. We know that he expressed anger toward his mother-in-law.”

At the time, Martin wouldn’t disclose whether Shields’ membership motivated Kelley to target the Texas church. However, reports indicated that she wasn’t there when the gunman opened fire.

“My sister knew God, and I know that’s where she went. That’s giving me strength,” Clyburn said, adding that White’s husband died a few months earlier. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Everyone came out. The whole community came out…”

“Everyone was just wonderful, with everybody trying to console one another.”

 

[Featured Image: Facebook/Texas Department of Public Safety]