Trump: Stricter gun control may have led to more casualties during Texas church shooting
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (WFLA/CNN) – President Donald Trump believes if stricter gun control measures were in place during a mass shooting at a south Texas church on Sunday, there could have been even more casualties
Authorities say Devin Patrick Kelley fired at least 450 rounds of ammunition at worshipers during Sunday’s attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.
The president answered a reporter’s question about gun control during a news conference in South Korea on Tuesday morning. President Trump said extreme vetting of gun buyers would have led to more deaths.
“Tight vetting of there would have been no difference three days ago and you might not have had that very brave person who happened to have a gun or a rifle in his truck go out and shoot him and hit him and neutralize him,” said Trump, referring to Good Samaritan Stephen Willeford,
He added, “If he (Willeford) didn’t have a gun, instead of having 26 dead you would have had hundreds more dead. So that’s the way I feel about it. Not gonna help.”
Willeford ran from his home with his rifle and confronted the gunman, Devin Kelley, outside of First Baptist Church. Authorities have said two of the bullets fired by Willeford hit Kelley in the leg and torso. The gunman fled in his vehicle. Johnnie Langendorff was driving by the church when Willeford flagged him down and they pursued the gunman in Langendorff’s truck. Kelley eventually crashed and was found dead in his vehicle.
Investigators have said that although Kelley was shot twice, he ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
When asked if he’s considering any kind of gun control policy going forward, President Trump referenced Chicago.
“When you look at the city with the strongest gun laws in our nation in Chicago and Chicago is a disaster. It’s a total disaster. Just remember, if this man didn’t have a gun or rifle you’d be talking about a much worse situation in the great state of Texas.”