Devin Kelley
Devin Kelley
Photo of Devin Kelley's wife Danielle Lee Shields
Devin Patrick Kelley (February 21, 1991- November 5, 2017) was an American mass murderer responsible for the Sutherland Springs church shooting, during which he opened fire on the congregation of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. At least 26 people died in the shooting.
Kelley lived in New Braunfels, Texas and was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Personal Life
Devin Patrick Kelley got married to Danielle Lee Shields on April 4, 2014, in Comal County. He was 23 at the time and she was 19. They have a child.
Kelley also showed an interest in atheism. He wrote on his Facebook page that he "did not fear death".
Kelley was known for having a beard and had recently shaved it before his shooting spree.
Kelley had previously dated a 13 year old girl named Brittany Adcock when he was 18. After they broke up, he stalked her and offered her money to get back together with him. After he got married, he asked her to be his topless maid. His wife contacted the girl and was shown the incriminating messages.
Education & Activities
Kelley received a diploma from New Braunfels High School. He is a veteran of the US Air Force where he worked with logistics and supply serving from 2010 to 2014. He was dishonorably discharged and court-martialed in May 2014 for assaulting his wife and child.
Criminal Record
Domestic Violence
In 2012, Devin Kelley was court-martialed on two charges of assaulting his spouse and their infant child two years after he joined the Air Force in 2010. After being court martialed, he was confined for a year and then received a bad conduct discharge in 2014.
Don Christensen, a retired Air Force colonel who supervised prosecutors when Kelley was brought before a court martial, told NBC News he was convicted of fracturing the skull of his infant stepson."I don't know how old the child was, but he was a baby," said Christensen.
Kelley was also convicted of assaulting his wife, Tessa, in the same incident in 2012, he added.
The incident happened while Kelley was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base located six miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Under federal law, anybody with a dishonorable discharge is not authorized to buy a gun.
Abbott said Kelley had applied for a Texas right-to-carry permit and had been turned down. However,“It was after that that he was able to buy this gun,” Abbott said. “So there’s ongoing information that needs to be gathered.”
Animal Cruelty
In 2014, Devin Kelley was arrested on an animal cruelty charge, in Colorado Springs, Colorado where Kelley had lived for a short time, according to police records.
Witnesses to that incident told investigators that they saw Kelley chasing the dog at a trailer park and attacking the animal when he caught it.
"The suspect then started beating on the dog with both fists, punching it in the head and chest," the police report said, citing a witness.
"He could hear the suspect yelling at the dog and while he was striking it, the dog was yelping and whining.
The suspect then picked up the dog by the neck into the air and threw it onto the ground and then drug him away to lot 60."
Court records show that Kelley, who told police he was trying to stop the dog from attacking another animal, paid a fine in the case.
Driving Infractions
According to a search of Comal County, Texas where Kelley lived, he had been convicted of minor violations including driving with an expired registration, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving without insurance.
Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting
Photo he posted of his gun.
On November 5, 2017, at around 11:30 a.m. local time, Kelley wearing all black and tactical gear, walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX and opened fire on the congregation killing at least 25 people.
He used a Ruger AR-15 type rifle.
An armed civilian, Stephen Willeford pursued Kelley as he fled the church building, and shot him with his own rifle on the side, between Kelley's front and back body armor. Kelley managed to flee to his car and drive away, but Willeford joined another passerby, Johnnie Langendorf in pursuit.
They both pursued Kelley in a car chase.
Kelley crashed the car at a curve near country roads 307 and 539.
Johnnie and the other citizen held him at gunpoint until police arrived, but Kelley had already died at the scene, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
One of the victims was Annabelle Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of First Baptist Church's Pastor Frank Pomeroy.
Kelley's family members attended the church.