texas man recounts highspeed chase of fleeing church gunman
Friday 11 July 2025
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

outside a church across the street.

Texas man recounts high-speed chase of fleeing church gunman

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleTexas man recounts high-speed chase of fleeing church gunman

FBI agents search the grounds of the First Baptist Church
Sutherland Springs - Muslimchronicle

Johnnie Langendorff was driving to his girlfriend's house on Sunday morning when he spotted a barefoot stranger exchanging gunfire with a man outside a church across the street.

Devin Kelley, 26, had just exited the First Baptist Church where he had shot and killed 26 worshipers with an assault rifle and was headed for his Ford Explorer, which had a door open and the engine running.

According to the authorities, a neighbor who lived across the street had grabbed his own AR-15 rifle and was exchanging shots with Kelley.

That's when Langendorff drove up in his pickup truck.

"I pulled up to the intersection," the lanky Texan with a cowboy hat and a longhorn skull tattoo on his neck, told CNN.

"Right whenever I pulled up I saw the shooter coming out about where the cars were parked and the other gentleman coming from across the street," he said.

"Both had weapons drawn and in a matter of half a second there was exchange of gunfire," he said. "It lasted just a few seconds.

"And the shooter got in his vehicle and took off," he said.

- 'Let's go' -

"And the gentleman with the rifle came across the street opened my door and said 'He just shot up the church and we got to chase him,'" Langendorff said.

"And I said 'Let's go.'"

"That's what you do," he said. "You chase the bad guy."

According to officials, the barefoot man, identified in media reports as a plumber named Stephen Willeford, wounded Kelley before he took off in his car with Langendorff in pursuit.

Langendorff told CNN he reached speeds of up to 95 miles per hour (150 kilometers per hour) as he and the other man chased Kelley.

"We didn't even stop at this intersection," Langendorff said. "We buzzed right on through.

"I like to drive and so if I can get away with driving fast, well, you know..." he said.

"And I had to catch the guy. I had to make sure he was caught."

Langendorff estimated that the chase lasted about 10 to 12 minutes and he was on the phone with police dispatchers throughout, telling him where they were.

"At one point the gentleman riding with me said, 'you may have to use your truck to get him off the road,'" he said.

"And there was no hesitation -- it was, you know, do everything necessary to make sure that this guy is stopped." Langendorff said the chase "ended up with him wrecking his vehicle into the ditch."

"The other gentleman got out immediately and drew his rifle on him and he was telling him 'Get out, get out,' and the shooter never got out," he said.

"We barricaded behind my truck until police showed up."

Langendorff praised the actions of the other man saying he's "very much a hero.

"He did absolutely the right thing which is try to take him down on the scene," he said. "From what I know he was just taking a nap and heard the gunshots and reacted.

"He was barefooted. He had no shoes on or nothing but he was ready to act," he told CNN. "He did all the right things."

According to officials, Kelley's rampage at the church may have stemmed from a conflict with his mother-in-law, who prayed at that church but was not present at the time of the shooting.

They said Kelley, who was court-martialed and received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force three years ago, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

texas man recounts highspeed chase of fleeing church gunman texas man recounts highspeed chase of fleeing church gunman

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 08:57 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

To 'eternal style' of late Alaia

GMT 15:13 2017 Friday ,10 February

Palestinian Authority urges quick ICC ruling

GMT 08:15 2018 Saturday ,13 January

Salmonella scandal casts harsh light

GMT 23:21 2017 Thursday ,31 August

November 22 - December 20

GMT 09:58 2016 Wednesday ,23 March

cartoon three

GMT 14:56 2017 Wednesday ,12 April

Ashraf Abdel-Baqi expresses his pleasure

GMT 19:43 2015 Wednesday ,30 September

300 students of 85 nationalities join NYU Abu Dhabi

GMT 15:41 2014 Monday ,28 April

Grumpy Cat on \'American Idol\'

GMT 05:04 2011 Friday ,16 September

Spanish film festival opens with terror, comedy

GMT 17:13 2017 Saturday ,07 January

Smartphones make bike-sharing convenient in Beijing

GMT 05:30 2014 Wednesday ,28 May

Cannes Film Festival award winners are announced

GMT 07:43 2012 Tuesday ,24 January

Endangered pygmy elephant

GMT 21:40 2012 Sunday ,23 December

Mali Islamists destroying more Timbuktu mausoleums

GMT 15:32 2017 Thursday ,19 January

Trump waxwork joins world leaders

GMT 04:51 2017 Thursday ,16 March

Cathay Pacific posts 1st annual loss since 2008

GMT 08:05 2018 Saturday ,13 January

Most Americans 'don't want' Oprah to run
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle