Trump says Texas shooting due to 'mental health problem,' not a gun issue

The shooting at Sutherland Springs, Texas has left 26 people dead and comes a month after a Las Vegas gunman killed 58 people.

President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace, Monday, November 6, 2017, in Tokyo.
AP

President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace, Monday, November 6, 2017, in Tokyo.

The US was in mourning on Monday after a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire with an assault rifle on the congregation of a small-town Texas church, killing 26 people and wounding 20 more in the nation's latest shooting massacre.

President Donald Trump said the nation was living through "dark times" but that guns were not to blame for Sunday's carnage, which came just five weeks after the worst mass shooting in modern US history.

"I think that mental health is your problem here," said the US president, speaking in Tokyo as part of his  Asia tour. "This was a very – based on preliminary reports – a very deranged individual."

"This isn't a guns situation," Trump insisted, calling it "a mental health problem at the highest level."

The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also condemned the attack.

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Shooting in Texas kills 26

A gunman went into a Baptist church in Texas during Sunday morning services and shot dead at least 26 people, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in the latest mass shooting to shock the United States.

Around 20 people were also wounded in the shooting incident.

"We believe he's a young white male, maybe in his early 20s. He was dressed in all black, tactical-type gear and was wearing a ballistic vest," said Freeman Martin, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The victims ranged in age from five to 72.

TRT World's Ediz Tiyansan reports.

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The gunman identified as Devin Kelley, 26, was described by authorities as a young white male who was found dead in his vehicle after being confronted by a local resident.

TRT World's Anelise Borges has more.

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The Air Force said Kelley served at a base in New Mexico starting in 2010 before being court-martialled in 2012 for allegedly assaulting his wife and child.

He was sentenced to 12 months in confinement and received a "bad conduct" discharge, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said. He was discharged in 2014.

Dressed all in black, Kelley fired outside the church before entering the building and continuing to spray bullets, said Freeman Martin, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Multiple weapons 

Multiple weapons were found in the car, which were processed by bomb technicians.

"We have multiple, multiple crime scenes. We have the church, outside the church. We have where the suspect's vehicle was located," said Martin.

"We have been following up on the suspect and where he's from. We have Texas Rangers at all the hospitals locating those and interviewing those who were injured."

"There are so many families who have lost family members. Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters," Governor Greg Abbott said, warning the toll could rise.

The wounded had been transported to various hospitals with "injuries that vary from minor to very severe," Martin said. 

The dead included the 14-year old daughter of pastor Frank Pomeroy, the church leader told ABC News.

Other victims, some of whom were evacuated by helicopter, included a six-year-old boy named Rylan who was in surgery after being shot four times, his uncle told CBS News. 

A two-year-old was also shot and wounded, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Trump vows 'full support' 

Earlier, Trump called the "horrific shooting" an "act of evil," ordering flags be flown half-staff at the White House and federal buildings.

"Our hearts are broken but in dark times – and these are dark times – such as these, Americans do what they do best: we pull together," he said.

Though he said, "it's a little bit soon to go into it" regarding renewed calls for gun control, the president promised his administration's "full support" for the investigation.

Democrats highlight the need for gun control

As with many other previous shootings, Democrats pointed to the latest tragedy to highlight the need for gun control, a hot-button issue in a country that holds the right to bear arms as almost sacred.

In denouncing the "act of hatred," Trump's predecessor Barack Obama took to Twitter to express is concerns. 

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