Texas church shooter wore wig and fake beard, says security head who shot him

[webfact]

Texas church shooter wore wig and fake beard, says security head who shot him

 

Keith Thomas Kinnunen, identified as a shooting suspect at a church in White Settlement, Texas, poses for an undated police booking photo released by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office in Fort Worth, Texas December 30, 2019. Tarrant County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - A gunman wearing a wig and fake beard raised immediate suspicion when he walked into a church service in Texas before opening fire with a shotgun and killing two people, a volunteer security member who shot the assailant said on Monday.

 

The victims of Sunday's shooting, identified as Anton Wallace, 64, of Fort Worth and Richard White, 67, of River Oaks, were also members of the security force at West Freeway Church of Christ, the state's attorney general said.

 

Jack Wilson, the head of the security detail, fired a single shot that took down the gunman, identified as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, of River Oaks.

Wallace was serving communion at the church in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement and was approached twice by Kinnunen in the moments before the gunfire rang out.

 

"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."

 

Kinnunen was not a regular at the church and immediately raised suspicion when he walked in with the wig and fake beard that he kept adjusting, Wilson said.

 

The reason for Kinnunen's actions are unclear. State Attorney General Ken Paxton told a news conference that the gunman may have been mentally ill, but authorities were investigating a possible motive.

 

CONCEALED CARRY

Local TV station NBC DFW, citing unidentified law enforcement sources, said Kinnunen had a criminal record that included charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2009. A Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman declined to comment.

 

Texas allows concealed carry in places of worship under a new law that took effect in September. It was passed in the wake of a shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2017 that killed 26 people.

 

Paxton encouraged other states to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons for defence in case of active shooters.

 

Wilson had previously trained other churchgoers to use firearms, and had his own shooting range, Paxton said.

 

But gun control advocates and some religious leaders have argued such laws have no place 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.

 

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Gabriella Borter; editing by Bill Tarrant, Dan Grebler and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-31

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[Nyezhov]

Thank god for an armed trained citizen in a country that allows the helpless to fight back when confronted by evil.

[canuckamuck]

A terrible story which could have been far worse. 

[Xaos]

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=9N4df_1577655564

[Nyezhov]

4 minutes ago, Xaos said:

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=9N4df_1577655564

Kudos to the old guy with the gun.

[jimmybcool]

Sad event.  So much violence for what?  Nut jobs everywhere.  The hero was a very good shot to take him out with one shot at that distance.  My gut tells me he was already suspicious of the nut before he pulled a gun.  That or he goes from zen to defcon 5 in a heartbeat.  Thank goodness too.

 

[Tug]

Glad they nailed that pos rip and condolences to those lost

[Nyezhov]

20 minutes ago, jimmybcool said:

My gut tells me he was already suspicious of the nut before he pulled a gun.  That or he goes from zen to defcon 5 in a heartbeat

When you are trained, you learn to recognize what we called "hinky" behavior....folks doing thing that just raises your hinky meter. Hinkey meters are based on person, time, place. Like watching urban kids dressed like thugs contantly fiddling with the front of their pants.

 

Here: stranger in the church? Wearing a wig? Long coat? Fake beard? Figity? Bingo. Hinky.

 

The dude clearly had some training. His stance shows training. The fact that hes an old dude, works in a Gun Shop, was able to put his first shot Center Of Mass at 50 feet under stress, and was able to do that with a SIG 226/9 (a handgun for more advanced shooters) shows he was trained. I couldnt do that with a SIG, its not easy. 

 

The funny things is, the only folks who get that kind of training are "gun nuts". Your average cop is not a gun nut and hardly ever shoots. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Nyezhov

[EVENKEEL]

18 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

When you are trained, you learn to recognize what we called "hinky" behavior....folks doing thing that just raises your hinky meter. Hinkey meters are based on person, time, place. Like watching urban kids dressed like thugs contantly fiddling with the front of their pants.

 

Here: stranger in the church? Wearing a wig? Long coat? Fake beard? Figity? Bingo. Hinky.

 

The dude clearly had some training. His stance shows training. The fact that hes an old dude, works in a Gun Shop, was able to put his first shot Center Of Mass at 50 feet under stress, and was able to do that with a SIG 226/9 (a handgun for more advanced shooters) shows he was trained. I couldnt do that with a SIG, its not easy. 

 

The funny things is, the only folks who get that kind of training are "gun nuts". Your average cop is not a gun nut and hardly ever shoots. 

 

 

 

 

I have to qualify yearly with a Barretta 9mm, at 50 feet under stress to make a head shot with the first shot which needs more finger power is amazing. I'd never be able to do that. Righteous old man.

[mercman24]

so if these goody two shoe snowflakes had had their way, and no one was armed, this guy would have reloaded and killed a damn sight more in that church, well done that man,

[jimmybcool]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

I have to qualify yearly with a Barretta 9mm, at 50 feet under stress to make a head shot with the first shot which needs more finger power is amazing. I'd never be able to do that. Righteous old man.

Wow.  Are you on a SWAT team or what?  I've put a lot of rounds down range (relatively to the average human) and no way I'd pass that.  MAYBE with a competition 1911.  Not with a beretta 92 or the like.  Nah not even a 1911.  I'm old, fat and don't shoot enough any more.  That is fine shooting.

[EVENKEEL]

2 minutes ago, jimmybcool said:

Wow.  Are you on a SWAT team or what?  I've put a lot of rounds down range (relatively to the average human) and no way I'd pass that.  MAYBE with a competition 1911.  Not with a beretta 92 or the like.  Nah not even a 1911.  I'm old, fat and don't shoot enough any more.  That is fine shooting.

Sarcasm doesn't suit you, I'm a merchant seaman. I don't shoot except when I have to qualify yearly. The average person would never make that shot. 

[jimmybcool]

10 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Sarcasm doesn't suit you, I'm a merchant seaman. I don't shoot except when I have to qualify yearly. The average person would never make that shot. 

It wasn't intended as sarcasm.  Sorry if you took it that way.

[DannyCarlton]

12 hours ago, mercman24 said:

so if these goody two shoe snowflakes had had their way, and no one was armed, this guy would have reloaded and killed a damn sight more in that church, well done that man,

If the snowflakes had their way the gunman wouldn't have had possesion of a gun in the first place. Only in America.

[rabas]

14 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

12 hours ago, mercman24 said:

so if these goody two shoe snowflakes had had their way, and no one was armed, this guy would have reloaded and killed a damn sight more in that church, well done that man,

If the snowflakes had their way the gunman wouldn't have had possesion of a gun in the first place. Only in America.

If normal people had their way we would have gotten rid of all the crazies and guns would not be a problem just like before the mass shootings started.  As yourself the question, do you want to live in a world full of crazies but no guns, or a world of sane people were guns are not an issue.

[DannyCarlton]

23 minutes ago, rabas said:

If normal people had their way we would have gotten rid of all the crazies and guns would not be a problem just like before the mass shootings started.  As yourself the question, do you want to live in a world full of crazies but no guns, or a world of sane people were guns are not an issue.

Not really a practical solution is it? In the UK we got rid of the guns and haven't had a mass shooting since, whereas the US is the Worlds No:1 for mass shootings. Similar to Thailand's world No:2 for death on the roads. Not really something to be proud of is it?

[Cryingdick]

The story should have a pic of the hero not the shooter. 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

If the snowflakes had their way the gunman wouldn't have had possesion of a gun in the first place. Only in America.

 

It was a shotgun.  About the least regulated type of weapon all over the world.

 

Carried by a man that was legally barred from carrying any weapons because of a criminal history.  That law didn't work so well.

 

Stopped by a guy legally carrying a concealed pistol.  The kind of weapon that most gun control advocates would like to see banned...  Which, in this case, would have resulted in a lot more innocent deaths.

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by impulse

[DannyCarlton]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

It was a shotgun.  About the least regulated type of weapon all over the world.

 

Carried by a man that was legally barred from carrying any weapons because of a criminal history.  That law didn't work so well.

 

Stopped by a guy legally carrying a concealed pistol.  The kind of weapon that most gun control advocates would like to see banned...  Which, in this case, would have resulted in a lot more innocent deaths.

 

Doesn't happen in the UK. Only in America.

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Doesn't happen in the UK. Only in America.

 

There's other reasons for that, but I'm not about to get into a peeing contest...

 

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

The story should have a pic of the hero not the shooter. 

 

Agreed.  There are interviews of the guy online.  He runs a shooting range.  He also trains up volunteers, including several others from the same church who were just a little slower than he was. 

 

Looks like all that practice paid off.

 

[jimmybcool]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Google is your friend 

 

https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/279616/

 

 

OK.  I didn't even know who the NSSF is.  No big thing.  I thought it was a shooters organization but it is a manufacturers lobbying group.  Yup, they make money whenever there is an uptick in firearms sales.  

 

They should thank Clinton and Obama and the rest of the Democrats.  Every time one of them enacts more gun controls or hints at more controls there is a run on AR15 style firearms and every other kind of firearm.  Heck, even ammo gets scarce when there is a scare.  Sales have been slower with Trump in office although he hasn't been a great friend to the world of shooting.  People just assume since he is a Republican that he is pro-2nd Amendment.   My bet is after this next election he shows his true colors and trades more gun control for funding for a wall.  He and the Democrats both get to sell victory to their base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cryingdick]

14 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Doesn't happen in the UK. Only in America.

 

The irony of the British being one of the catalysts of why the 2nd amendment exists seems lost on you. 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Cryingdick

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

 

The irony of the British being one of the catalysts of why the 2nd amendment exists seems lost on you. 

Yep, completely. 200 years ago. Are we threatening you now? Do you still need to bear arms to defend yourselves against us Brits? It's an old defunct amendment that should have been repealed a centuary ago.

 

But no, where would all those "men" with little<snip> be without their big guns?

[Bluespunk]

34 minutes ago, jimmybcool said:

Just pointing out that before the Clinton assault weapon ban most people didn't even know what an AR15 was.  Let alone spend the coin to buy one.  Tell people they can't have something and then they want it.  Simple human nature.  Now every time there is a "mass shooting" Democrats pander to more gun control.  That sets off a buying frenzy.  I've seen it's impact in gun stores.  One day they have dusty rifles on the wall.  Next empty walls.

yep, it’s all the Democrats fault

 

maga

Edited December 31, 2019 by Bluespunk

[Cryingdick]

24 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The Brits had absolutely nothing to do with the poor grammar of the Framers and the ensuing lack of agreed comprehension when it comes to the 2nd Amendment. You've been had (again).

 

Wow first an insult about small willies now one about grammar. If not an American why do you care what goes on in my country? Imagine that a Brit trying to dictate to an American what to do. 

[jimmybcool]

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

yep, it’s all the Democrats fault

 

maga

hard to have civil conversation when what you write is distorted.  So I'll drop it here.  

 

[metisdead]

A post containing unattributed content has been removed as being in violation of fair use policy, the replies were removed as well. 

 

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, jimmybcool said:

hard to have civil conversation when what you write is distorted.  So I'll drop it here.  

 

Yep, certainly was me distorting the issue and trying to blame the Democrats and members of their party to deflect away from the culpability of the arms industry. 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Bluespunk

[evadgib]

I'm in generally favour of this but how does a good guy in this situation not then get shot by police or another good guy with a gun in the immediate confusion?