On November 5, 2017, a gunman, named Devin Kelley, attacked a small Baptist church in Texas. The massacre resulted in the death of at least 26 lives and the injury of 20, ranging from young kids to older citizens.

The number of injuries and deaths that resulted from Kelley’s attack has now become the worst mass shooting in Texas. The victims included toddlers, teenagers, and the elderly– even 9 members of the same family were killed. Devin Kelley entered this rural church with the intents of an assault-style attack. Once he began firing his guns, he never stopped, only briefly to refill his machinery.

When local Texans heard the sounds of firearms nearby, they tried to stop Kelley. Once they arrived however, Kelley fled in his SUV and later shot himself in the head before police and the local Texans could reach him.

Police and military investigations have shown Kelley as a “distressed, and at times, violent” man (Washington Post).

The apparent reason behind the gunman’s decision to attack was because of his mental health. Back in 2012, he escaped from a mental health facility. At that time, he was conspiring with sneaking guns into the Air Force base, attempting to intimidate his superiors. His dark past consists of beating his ex-wife and her son, charges of animal cruelty, and threats against other family members.

The question that has been brought into concern is the access by which Kelley was able to acquire these heavy firearms. Many Americans who are against guns see this event as another reason to ban guns in the United States. Just this past year, there have been several gun attacks. To name a few, Stephen Paddock’s shooting at the country music concert in Las Vegas, the University of Kansas shooting, and the Manhattan terror attack. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there is one major mass shooting every two months.

On the opposing side, many pro-gun activists believe that this attack does not justify the banning of firearms. While Kelley was able to access this destructive machinery, he did it illegally. After his discharge from the Air Force, it was supposed to be illegal for him to purchase guns. However, he purchased four guns in the past four years, making pro-gun stances believe that the issue was with the insufficiency of the background checks.

The Texas church attack has become another tragic event that cost the lives of several innocent Americans. LeeAnn Burrows (11) comments, “I am upset that something like this happened. We should cut down illegal guns to prevent future attacks.”