‘The Right Thing to Do’: Local Heroes Chase Texas Gunman After Bloody Rampage

A Texas man who happened to be near Sutherland Springs Baptist Church shortly after the fatal shooting described how an unnamed local hero got into his car and both gave dramatic pursuit to the suspected gunman.

Johnnie Langendorff, a man from Seguin, Texas, told local KSAT TV that he was driving near the church on Sunday morning when he saw two men exchanging fire. Then, one of the shooters – Kelley – took off in a car and the other, an unidentified man, asked Langendorff to help him chase the assailant. “He came and said we need to pursue him. And that’s what I did, I just acted,” Langendorff said.

Describing the last moments of the dramatic pursuit, Langendorff said that the attacker appeared to have lost control of his car. “He just lost control [of the vehicle]. That is when I put the vehicle in park and I was still on the phone to [police] dispatch. The other gentleman jumped out and has his rifle drawn on him. He didn’t move after that,” he told KSAT.

“I was trying to get him, to get him apprehended. It was strictly just acting on what the right thing to do was,” Langendorff said.

Langendorff’s Facebook page is now filled with numerous messages with praise and thanks. Kelley went on a bloody rampage in the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church on Sunday morning. He initially opened fire outside the building before later continuing inside the church.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that at least 26 people had lost their lives as a result and said the death toll could climb higher. At least 20 more were wounded in the attack. According to a LinkedIn account allegedly belonging to Kelley, he served in the US Air Force until 2013 and briefly taught at a summer religious school.