Gunman kills 26 in Texas church massacre

Police have identified the man who killed 26 people in a Texas church, including the 14-year-old pastor’s daughter.

A gunman has killed 26 people and wounded about 20 others in a massacre inside a church in rural Texas, after he opened fire on the congregation during a Sunday morning service.

The gunman then escaped in a car and travelled across the county line, but was killed, although it is not yet clear if police shot him.

The victims ranged in age from five to 72 years old.

Two officials have identified the suspect as Devin Kelley, 26. The officials - one a US official and the other in law enforcement - spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation, which they were briefed on.

The US official says Kelly lived in a suburb of San Antonio and that he doesn’t appear to be linked to organised terrorist groups.

It has been revealed that Kelley had an assault rifle and wore a ballistic vest during the attack.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott says it is the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history. Abbott’s remarks came during a news conference on Sunday, hours after the attack.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Devin Kelley.

Investigators are looking at social media posts Kelley may have made in the days before Sunday’s attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon.

The attack occurred around 11.30am local time (4.30am AEDT) in the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small town of around 400 people located about 50km southeast of San Antonio.

The shooter reportedly walked into the church during a morning service that witnesses said was normally attended by some 50 people and opened fire.

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

Annabelle Renee Pomeroy “was one very beautiful, special child,” her father said.

Sherri Pomeroy, wife of Pastor Frank Pomeroy, said in a text message that she lost her daughter “and many friends” in the shooting.

The text came in response to an interview request sent by The Associated Press to a phone number linked in online records to Frank Pomeroy.

Sherri Pomeroy says both she and her husband were out of town and trying to get back to Sutherland Springs, outside of San Antonio.

Annabelle Renee Pomeroy, 14, has been identified as a victim of the Texas church shooting.

Other victims 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.

A two-year-old was among the wounded, the Dallas Morning News website reported.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said: “Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act. Our thanks to law enforcement for their response.”

More than 20 people were wounded in the shooting. Picture: AP

Police near the scene of the shooting. Picture: Facebook

Relatives and friends of the victims raced to the church and were seeing crying outside the church as police prevented them from entering.

The mass killing came only weeks after the Las Vegas shooting where gunman Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 500 after he opened fire on a Country Music concert from his hotel room.

Members of the FBI walk next to the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Picture: AP

In June 2015 white supremacist Dylan Roof shot nine Africa Americans dead in a church in a racially motivated killing in Charleston South Carolina.

A spokeswoman say the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is sending special agents from field offices in Houston and San Antonio to the site of a church shooting in South Texas.

Carrie Matula embraces a woman after the shooting. Matula said she heard the shooting from the gas station where she works a block away. Picture: AP

The church is a white, wood-framed building with a double-door at the entrance and a Texas flag on a pole at the front area, according to its website, which was down shortly after the shooting. The website says the church schedule was for a fellowship breakfast on Sunday mornings, followed by Sunday school. A morning worship service was scheduled for 11am. The first news reports of the shooting were between noon and 12:30pm.

Megan Posey, a spokeswoman for Connally Memorial Medical Center, which is in Floresville and about 10 miles from the church, said “multiple” victims were being treated for gunshot wounds. She declined to give a specific number but said it was less than a dozen.

Law enforcement officials at the church. Picture: AP

A woman who lives about 10 minutes away from Sutherland Springs in Floresville and was monitoring the chaos on a police scanner and in Facebook community groups, said that everyone knows everyone in the sparsely populated county. “This is horrific for our tiny little tight-knit town,” said Alena Berlanga. “Everybody’s going to be affected and everybody knows someone who’s affected,” she said.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia

Additional reporting: AP