Sunday morning church services at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas were tragically interrupted when an unknown man took out a shotgun and let off two shots. The church Deacon, Anton Wallace as well as the man receiving communion, Rich White were both killed. The assailant was then quickly neutralized by at least two gun carrying parishoners that were also attending mass in true Texas fashion – headshot by Sig p229.
The kill shot came from the steady hand of Jack Wilson, a worshiper that has led the church’s volunteer security team for the past decade. Wilson also operated his own gun range, On Target Firearms where he taught firearm training and safety for 21 years before he lost his business to an electrical fire.
Wilson is currently running for County Commissioner in Hood County and made this statement on his campaign’s Facebook page:
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 exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church.
Jack Wilson County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Campaign Facebook
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.
This awful event happened just 10 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas in a quiet township of about 18,000 people. While the gunman remains unknown to the public (Coulter’s Law), CNN focused on the racist undertones of the small town’s name on Sunday.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, immediately praised the two citizens that engaged the active shooter and credited recent changes in Texas law according to the Dallas Morning News. “The heroism today is unparalleled. This team responded quickly, and within six seconds the shooting was over.”
Patrick went on to tell the press:
"The immediate responder is the most important. The citizen responder. Because even though the chief’s brave officers were here in less than a minute -- by the time they got here, the shooting was over. And that always happens, that over 50 percent of shootings, our first responders, it’s usually over when they get there, no matter how hard they try."
The Dallas Morning News
As reported by Fox News, Republican Governor Greg Abbott had signed eight gun bills into law back in June in which one allowed gun owners to bring their concealed weapons into places of worship.
After the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas two years ago that left dozens dead and a score more injured, Texans have been motivated to take back their rights to self-protection. Without the GOP legislative measures, the White Settlement church gunman would have been able to keep firing until the police arrived or he ran out of ammo.
Sunday afternoon, Gov. Abbott issued a public statement where he also shared his gratitude along with condolences to the families of the victims:
“Places of worship are meant to be sacred, and I am grateful for the church members who acted quickly to take down the shooter and help prevent further loss of life.”
Office of the Texas Governor webpage
Yet, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called the carry-in-church laws “totally irrational” shortly after they passed. Biden has also been hailed as the “champion of gun-free zones” after he authored the bill that passed through the senate in 1990 that led to the implementation of the soft targets gunmen usually seek out. His position remains unchanged after Sunday’s attack keeping his record of being wrong on policy at 100%.
Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic presidential hopeful who campaigned on the idea of gun confiscations in The Lone Star State, tweeted that he was sad to learn about the church shooting and wrote, "Clearly what we are doing in Texas, what we are doing in this country, when it comes to guns is not working."
Similarly, current Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro mirrored O’Rourke by sharing the same news article and calling for more gun restrictions in spite of the fact that this incident objectively demonstrates that the recent easing of gun control in Texas saves lives.
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