Texas Church Shooting: Assailant wore wig, fake beard, says security guard

A man sporting a wig and fake beared prompted scepticism when he walked into a church service in Texas ahead of opening fire and killing two people, a security guard who gunned down the attacker stated on Monday.

The fatalities of Sunday’s incident, identified as Anton Wallace, 64 and Richard White, 67, were also members of the civilian security force at West Freeway Church of Christ, the state’s attorney general stated.

The head of the security Jack Wilson, fired a single shot that took down the assailant, who has been recognised as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43 of River Oaks.

Wallace was serving communion at the church in the Fort Worth suberb and was approached twice by the suspect in the moments ahead of the gunfire.

"When he sat back down the second time, shortly after that, he stood up, turned, and produced a shotgun," Wilson told NBC News.

Wilson and White began "drawing our weapons. Richard did get his gun out of the holster. He was, I think, able to get a shot off, but it ended up going into the wall. The shooter had turned and shot him and then shot Tony and then started to turn to go towards the front of the auditorium," Wilson told NBC.

"I fired one round. The subject went down."

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Kinnunen was not a regular at the church and raised doubts when he entered donning the wig and fake beard that he kept fiddling, said Wilson.

The motive behind his actions are uncertain. State Attorney General Ken Paxton told in press conference that the assailant may have been mentally unstable.

Donald Trump Praises Armed ‘Heros’

The attack and reciprocation by the armed civilians were most likely to further exacerbated a nationwide contention over gun violence before the 2020 presidential campaign.

"Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday's church attack," President Donald Trump said on Twitter.

"It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!," Trump said.

Local TV channels, claiming unidentified law enforcement sources, stated Kinnunen had a criminal record that included charges of assault with a deadly weapon in 2009. A Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman rejected to make a comment.

Taxas permits concealed carry in places of worship under a law that came into effect in September. It was passed after a shooting at the First Baptise Church in Sutherland Springs, in 2017 that wiped out 26 people.

Paxton advocated other states to permit citizens to carry concealed weapons for self defence in case of active shooting.
Wilson had earlier upskilled other churchgoers to use firearm, and had his own shooting range, Paxton stated.

nevertheless, gun control advocates and some religious leaders have contended that such laws have no room in houses of worship.

"Instead of looking for a success story in a tragedy, lawmakers should be talking about how they can prevent gun violence in the first place," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.

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