I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who apprehended the suspect, and I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for those affected by this horrific shooting. “Our hearts are with the victims and the families of those killed or injured in this terrible tragedy. Greg Abbott issued this statement on Sunday, shortly after the incident: No church services were going on at the time of the shooting. Sheriff Smith told WFAA that the suspect will be charged with capital murder. The State of Texas is working closely with first responders and local officials to ensure that justice is served and that the Starrville community has the resources it needs during this time.A shooting incident occurred at the Starrville Methodist Church in Winona Sunday morning. “I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who apprehended the suspect, and I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for those affected by this horrific shooting. “Our hearts are with the victims and the families of those killed or injured in this terrible tragedy,” Abbott said. Greg Abbott shared his condolences in a statement Sunday. ![]() The suspect then took one of the victims’ vehicles, Smith said, but the 2018 GMC truck was equipped with OnStar technology, which was used to track and then disable the vehicle. His injuries were described by Smith as non-life threatening. The gunshot victim was in surgery Sunday, and his condition is unknown, Smith said. ![]() Two people were also injured – one from a gunshot wound, and another from falling. The suspect fatally shot the pastor, Smith said. He made the suspect lay down on the floor … the pastor got distracted … talking to his wife and the suspect lunged at him and was able to take the firearm out of his hand,” Smith said. “However, there was some confusion during that time. McWilliams was armed and was able to get the suspect to lie on the ground, Smith said. He “was still in the bathroom of the church with the door closed when the pastor or his wife … opened the door and met with him.” “What we believe happened this morning is the suspect backtracked his way – after deputies left the area – and came back and in order to get out of the cold, and entered a broken window and entered the church,” Smith said Sunday. The next morning, before 9:30 a.m., Smith County dispatchers received a call that there had been a shooting in the church. Deputies searched for the suspect in the woods and found part of a shoe or boot he was believed to be wearing, Smith said. Smith said a perimeter was established – with the assistance of a K-9 unit and drones – for several hours. A shotgun was found in the vehicle, he said. The car had been rammed by a DPS unit, Smith said, causing the airbags to deploy. ![]() The vehicle reached speeds of around 100 mph, but one of its tires was a spare that gave out during the pursuit, causing the Jetta to crash onto the property near the Starrville Methodist Church in Winona, Smith said. Deputies gave chase for more than 20 miles, eventually joined by troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Smith said. Soon afterward, at 7:30 p.m., a Smith County deputy saw the suspect’s vehicle at a convenience store and tried to stop it, but the car sped away. Officers received reports that a firearm had been displayed through the car’s sunroof, Smith said in a Sunday evening news conference. The incident began Saturday when the Lindale Police Department responded to several calls for service regarding a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta.
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