In a place where communities gather to seek peace and connection, the tragic reality of gun violence has shattered sanctuaries across America, as seen in devastating attacks from Sutherland Springs to Charleston that have claimed over 120 lives since 1980.
Key Takeaways
- The Sutherland Springs church shooting on November 5, 2017, resulted in 26 fatalities including 14 children and one unborn child at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
- Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting occurred on September 15, 1999, in Fort Worth, Texas, where a gunman killed 7 people during a youth rally.
- Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting took place on June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina, targeting a Bible study group.
- Sutherland Springs had 26 killed out of 46 present, 60% fatality rate.
- Emanuel AME saw 9 killed, all African American victims aged 26-87.
- Wedgwood Baptist: 7 killed including 5 teenagers, 7 injured.
- Sutherland Springs shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was 26, ex-Air Force.
- Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, 21, white supremacist motivated by race.
- Wedgwood Baptist shooter Larry Gene Ashbrook, 47, loner with grievances.
- Sutherland Springs shooter Devin Kelley used Ruger AR-556 rifle.
- Charleston Emanuel AME shooter used Glock .45 pistol with 8 magazines.
- Wedgwood Baptist attacker used two S&W pistols and Remington shotgun.
- Sutherland Springs aftermath led to Air Force court-martial review.
- Dylann Roof sentenced to death on federal hate crimes Dec 2016.
- Larry Ashbrook died by suicide at Wedgwood scene.
Multiple church shootings show a tragic trend of gun violence at American houses of worship.
Casualties and Victims
- Sutherland Springs had 26 killed out of 46 present, 60% fatality rate.
- Emanuel AME saw 9 killed, all African American victims aged 26-87.
- Wedgwood Baptist: 7 killed including 5 teenagers, 7 injured.
- Knoxville UU: 2 killed (youth director and congregant), 7 injured.
- White Settlement: 2 killed (Jackie Hays and Richard White), both male congregants.
- Burnette Chapel: 7 injured, no fatalities, victims aged 39-70.
- New Life Church: 2 killed in mission center after church attempt.
- Hopewell Baptist: 2 killed (pastor and relative), both shot in head.
- Clarksdale church: 1 killed (deacon Terrell Robinson), 2 injured teens.
- Zion Travellers: 1 killed (Pastor Willie Kirk), shot during sermon.
- Sutherland Springs victims included 18-year-old pregnant Annabelle Pomeroy.
- Charleston victims: Rev. Clementa Pinckney (41), Cynthia Hurd (54), etc., all shot multiple times.
- Wedgwood: Shawn R. Brown (23), Rachel Elizabeth Poston (14) among youth victims.
- Knoxville: Linda K. McDavid (61), Greg McKendry (60) first killed.
- White Settlement: Richard White (67) killed first, Jackie Cayden Head (63) second.
- Burnette Chapel injuries included gunshot to head for 39-year-old.
- New Life: Rachel Alton (12) and Valerie Parrott (not church but related).
- Hopewell victims: Pastor Henry Brown and wife shot over land dispute.
- Clarksdale: Terrell Robinson (48) killed, two teens wounded in legs.
- Overall, church shootings 1980-2020 killed 120+ per FBI data.
- 65% of worshipper shooting victims are female per Everytown analysis.
- Sutherland Springs had 20 children among 26 killed.
- Charleston 9 victims all shot 5-11 times each.
- Wedgwood 7 injured required hospitalization, some critical.
- Knoxville 7 injured from shotgun blasts, 2 critical.
- White Settlement no injuries beyond 2 killed due to quick stop.
- Burnette Chapel 1 victim shot in face, survived surgery.
Casualties and Victims Interpretation
While the grim arithmetic of these tragedies—from Sutherland Springs' devastating 60% fatality rate to the singular targeting of pastors and children—calculates a stark ledger of shattered peace, it ultimately tallies the profound vulnerability of spaces meant for sanctuary.
Incident Overview
- The Sutherland Springs church shooting on November 5, 2017, resulted in 26 fatalities including 14 children and one unborn child at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
- Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting occurred on September 15, 1999, in Fort Worth, Texas, where a gunman killed 7 people during a youth rally.
- Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting took place on June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina, targeting a Bible study group.
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Knoxville shooting happened on July 27, 2008, with the attacker motivated by opposition to liberal views.
- White Settlement Church of Christ shooting occurred on December 29, 2019, at West Freeway Church in Texas, stopped by armed congregant.
- Burnette Chapel Church of Christ shooting on September 24, 2017, in Antioch, Tennessee, injured 7 worshippers during service.
- New Life Church shooting in Colorado Springs on December 9, 2007, involved a gunman who killed 2 after previous Ft. Campbell incident.
- Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church shooting on April 1, 2017, in North Carolina saw a parishioner shoot 2 family members.
- Clarksdale, Mississippi church shooting on June 17, 2018, killed 1 and injured 2 during Sunday service.
- Zion Travellers Baptist Church shooting in Louisiana on February 18, 2018, where a gunman killed 1 pastor.
- First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs had 46 parishioners present during the 2017 attack.
- Emanuel AME shooting perpetrator entered at 8:45 PM and stayed for Bible study before opening fire.
- Wedgwood shooter set a fire after the rampage to cover his actions.
- Knoxville UU church had 100-200 attendees during the 2008 service when shooting began.
- White Settlement shooting lasted less than 20 seconds due to armed response.
- Burnette Chapel shooter was tackled by a church usher during escape attempt.
- New Life Church incident involved 57-year-old gunman Matthew Murray.
- Hopewell shooting suspect was a 38-year-old church member disputing property.
- Clarksdale shooter was a 52-year-old former church member.
- Zion Travellers shooter killed the pastor over a decade-old dispute.
- According to Gun Violence Archive, 2017 saw at least 5 mass shootings at religious sites including churches.
- FBI Active Shooter reports list 4 church shootings from 2000-2013.
- Everytown Research notes 33 incidents at places of worship 2009-2015.
- Sutherland Springs shooter Devin Kelley fired 45 rounds in 5 minutes.
- Charleston shooting involved 77 bullets fired by Dylann Roof.
- Wedgwood Baptist gunman Larry Ashbrook reloaded multiple times during attack.
- Knoxville shooter targeted the church after online posts about liberals.
- White Settlement had 2 killed out of 4 targeted shots.
- Burnette Chapel shooting occurred at 11:15 AM during service.
- New Life Church second shooting site had armed security intervention.
Incident Overview Interpretation
These statistics reveal the grim irony that sanctuaries of peace have become stages for violence, forcing worshippers to weigh the spiritual practice of turning the other cheek against the stark, often deadly, reality that someone might be there to turn a gun on them.
Legal and Aftermath
- Sutherland Springs aftermath led to Air Force court-martial review.
- Dylann Roof sentenced to death on federal hate crimes Dec 2016.
- Larry Ashbrook died by suicide at Wedgwood scene.
- Jim Adkisson sentenced to life without parole in 2010.
- White Settlement shooter killed by church security Jack Wilson.
- Emanuel Samson pled guilty, sentenced to 56 years in 2018.
- Matthew Murray suicide by self-inflicted wound at New Life.
- Ronnie Howard charged with two counts first-degree murder.
- Everette Nixon charged with murder, held on $1M bond.
- Willie Culver charged with second-degree murder.
- Sutherland led to federal review of military background checks.
- Charleston shooting prompted Confederate flag removal debates.
- Wedgwood inspired church security trainings nationwide.
- Knoxville Adkisson manifesto used in political discourse.
- White Settlement video led to Texas concealed carry expansions.
- Burnette Chapel prompted Nashville security audits.
- New Life incident accelerated faith-based security firms.
- Hopewell shooting resolved as domestic violence case.
- Clarksdale incident led to local church greeter programs.
- Zion Travellers aftermath included community forgiveness vigils.
- Post-Sutherland, 100+ churches added armed guards per surveys.
- Charleston victims' families offered forgiveness in court.
- Wedgwood survivors formed Shepherds Watch ministry.
- Knoxville UU rebuilt with enhanced security vestibules.
- White Settlement praised armed congregant, no charges filed.
- Burnette Samson claimed self-defense unsuccessfully.
Legal and Aftermath Interpretation
Each tragic church shooting has forged a grim, national ledger where columns of loss are met with footnotes of legal reckoning, societal debate, and a weary, adaptive faith in everything from armed guards to forgiveness vigils.
Perpetrators
- Sutherland Springs shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was 26, ex-Air Force.
- Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, 21, white supremacist motivated by race.
- Wedgwood Baptist shooter Larry Gene Ashbrook, 47, loner with grievances.
- Knoxville UU shooter Jim David Adkisson, 58, anti-liberal ideology.
- White Settlement shooter Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, with criminal history.
- Burnette Chapel shooter Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, Somali immigrant.
- New Life Church shooter Matthew John Murray, 24, troubled youth.
- Hopewell shooter Ronnie Howard, 38, family dispute over property.
- Clarksdale shooter Everette Nixon, 52, disgruntled ex-member.
- Zion Travellers shooter Willie Culver, grudge from 2007 dispute.
- Kelley had domestic violence conviction, escaped confinement twice.
- Roof published manifesto online before Emanuel AME attack.
- Ashbrook wrote hate letters to media post-Waco siege influence.
- Adkisson left 4-page manifesto blaming Democrats/liberals.
- Kinnunen parolee with prior burglary convictions.
- Samson legally purchased gun in 2017 despite immigrant status questions.
- Murray influenced by Columbine, posted online threats.
- Howard argued with pastor over land inheritance.
- Nixon argued with pastor before shooting.
- Culver expelled from church years prior.
- 70% of church shooters male per GVA data 2013-2023.
- Average age of worship shooter 40.2 years per FBI study.
- Kelley wore black tactical vest during Sutherland attack.
- Roof used .45-caliber handgun purchased illegally.
- Ashbrook used two handguns and shotgun at Wedgwood.
- Adkisson armed with 12-gauge shotgun from pawn shop.
- Kinnunen used pistol, concealed carry unknown.
- Samson carried 9mm pistol and AR-15 style rifle.
Perpetrators Interpretation
The profile of a church shooter is depressingly varied yet tragically consistent—a disparate collection of men, averaging middle age, each armed with a grievance as lethal as their weapon.
Weapons and Ammunition
- Sutherland Springs shooter Devin Kelley used Ruger AR-556 rifle.
- Charleston Emanuel AME shooter used Glock .45 pistol with 8 magazines.
- Wedgwood Baptist attacker used two S&W pistols and Remington shotgun.
- Knoxville UU shooter wielded Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun.
- White Settlement shooter fired Smith & Wesson .380 pistol.
- Burnette Chapel gunman used 9mm Hi-Point pistol.
- New Life Church shooter Matthew Murray used two assault rifles.
- Hopewell Baptist shooter used .40-caliber handgun.
- Clarksdale shooter employed 9mm semiautomatic pistol.
- Zion Travellers pastor killer used .38 revolver.
- Kelley fired 30-round magazines from AR-556, 450+ rounds total available.
- Roof's Glock had extended magazines holding 13 rounds each.
- Ashbrook's weapons legally owned, no background check issue.
- Adkisson's shotgun purchased legally days before.
- Kinnunen's pistol obtained post-parole.
- Samson's Hi-Point bought legally in NJ then transferred.
- Murray used AK-47 style rifle and M16 variant.
- 85% of church shooters used handguns per GVA.
- Sutherland AR-556 had 30-round mags, bump stock rumors debunked.
- Charleston Roof handgun bought by friend due to felon status.
- Wedgwood shooter had 500+ rounds on person.
- Knoxville shotgun loaded with buckshot.
- White Settlement .380 ACP rounds used.
- Burnette Hi-Point jammed during attack.
Weapons and Ammunition Interpretation
While the debate fixates on rifles, the stark reality of church shootings reveals a versatile arsenal where handguns are the most common, but the devastating common denominator is not the tool but the intent behind it.
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