Half of the 26 victims of the worst mass shooting in Texas history are children, officials have confirmed. The attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on Sunday also left 20 people wounded, with 10 in critical condition. Authorities fear the death toll could rise.
The youngest victim was an unborn baby whose mother, Crystal Holcombe, was killed. Crystal was eight months pregnant and died alongside three of her five children from a previous marriage: Emily, Megan and Greg. Her husband, John Holcombe, survived. Another child killed was just one year old: Noah Holcombe, daughter of Marc Daniel Holcombe, who also died.
Among the dead were eight members of the Holcombe family. Bryan Holcombe, who was serving as guest pastor in the absence of the church's pastor, was killed along with his wife Karla. Their son Marc Daniel Holcombe, 36, and his one-year-old daughter Noah also died. Another son, John, survived but his wife Crystal and their unborn child were killed.
The first victim to be named was 14-year-old Annabelle Pomeroy, daughter of the church's pastor, Frank Pomeroy, who was away in Oklahoma at the time. Her mother Sherri said: 'We lost more than Belle yesterday, and one thing that gives me a sliver of encouragement is the fact that Belle was surrounded yesterday by her church family that she loved fiercely.'
Other victims included Lula White, the grandmother of the gunman's ex-wife; Joann Ward, who died shielding her children; and 16-year-old Haley Krueger, who had arrived early to prepare breakfast. The gunman, identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, died after the attack. The motive remains under investigation.
