Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference, in which he said that the tragedy was "the largest mass shooting in Texas history."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter to convey his condolences in the wake of the tragic shooting, writing both in Hebrew and in English that he was "Horrified by the savagery in Texas. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the American people."...Americans do what we do best: we pull together. We join hands. We lock arms and through the tears and the sadness, we stand strong... pic.twitter.com/qkCPgtKGkA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely also responded to the sad report, penning a tweet that read: "Heartbreaking news of the tragic massacre at #Texas Sutherland Springs church. #prayersfortexas"Horrified by the savagery in Texas. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the American people.
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) November 5, 2017
The man suspected of perpetrating the attack, Devin Patrick Kelley, was discharged dishonorably from USAF in 2014, according to CBS News. Martin Freeman of the Texas Department of Public Safety said at the press conference that he was a "young, white male in his early twenties, wearing all black, tactical-like gear and a ballistic vest."At least 26 victims were confirmed dead inside the church, and two were shot outside the church. One person died on their way to the hospital. Another 20 victims, ranging in age from 5 to 72 years old, were transported to local hospitals, in various conditions.After leaving the church, the suspect was pursued by a local resident and there was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect was found dead in his vehicle. It was not clear if the suspect was killed by the local or took his own life. The local was not wounded in the gun battle."We are only hours into this investigation which will take quite a long time," said Freeman.Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies were either on the scene or traveling there, according to reports.About 860 people live in the Sutherland Springs area in 2010, according to the US Census.Joy Bernard and Reuters contributed to this report.Heartbreaking news of the tragic massacre at #Texas Sutherland Springs church. #prayersfortexas
— Tzipi Hotovely (@TzipiHotovely) November 5, 2017