Sunday Nov. 5, 2017, a mass shooting took place in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in a first baptist church. This shooting now ranks the top five deadliest shootings in the nation. Devin Patrick Kelley, the 26 year old who mercilessly killed 26 people; the ages ranging from eighteen month to seventy seven years old.

“Some parents had covered their children with their bodies to protect them from the bullets,” Wilson County Sheriff, Joe Tackitt, says.

Entering the church with a loaded gun and revenge against the domestic disputes between his mother-in-law and himself, Kelley went to the church she attended and opened fire. Officials are now saying the gunman also had served in the Air Force before being discharged for misconduct, and domestic violence, in 2014.

On Sunday morning, Kelley was seen wearing all black at the local gas station before the shooting occurred. As he entered the back of the church, he began shooting, and did not stop until he reached the front entrance.

Only a few hours away from Sutherland Springs, Alyssa High was attending her church in Colorado City, Texas when she received a notification about the mass shooting.

“I was shocked. Horrified even,” High says.

She couldn’t believe that something this terrifying could happen in a town very similar to her own. Kelley unloaded his clip and reloaded several times before leaving the building. Detectives found 15 magazines, each with a 30 round capacity. When Kelley left the church, a civilian reacted and shot the gunman twice. Kelley was found with a third self inflicted shot, which he had died from.

There was a breakdown of military protocols that failed to flag Kelley as unfit to buy firearms, without being blacklisted, the gunman was able to make three complete purchases of firearms.

Officials do not know the exact amount of time Kelley spent in the church firing at the church goers. Victims and witnesses state that Kelley meticulously shot as many people as he could for as long as he could. Detectives have estimated the massacre to last over four minutes, as that’s how long it took them to arrive at the scene.

“Most of our church family is gone. Our building is probably beyond repair and the few of us left behind lost tragically yesterday.” Sherri Pomerory, the church pastor’s wife told the Washington Post.