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26 killed in Texas church shooting (Second Lead)

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Washington, Nov 6 (IANS) At least 26 people were killed when a lone gunman wearing a ballistic vest and carrying a military-style rifle, opened fire on worshippers at a Baptist church in Texas, police said.

The attack took place on Sunday in Sutherland Springs, some 45 km southeast of San Antonio.

Law enforcement officials told The New York Times that the gunman was identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, who died shortly after the attack. The cause of his death was being investigated.

Kelley started firing at the First Baptist Church shortly after the Sunday morning service began at 11 a.m., the police said.

He was armed with a Ruger military-style rifle, and within minutes, many of those inside the small church were dead and injured.

The victims ranged in age from five to 72, and among the dead were several children, a pregnant woman and the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history.

At least 20 more were wounded, The New York Times reported.

Kelley, who lived in New Braunfels, Texas, had served in the Air Force at a base in New Mexico, but was court-martialed in 2012 on charges of assaulting his wife and child.

He was sentenced to 12 months confinement and received a “bad conduct” discharge in 2014, according to Ann Stefanek, the chief of Air Force media operations.

The motive of the attack remains unclear.

“It’s something we all say does not happen in small communities, although we found out today it does,” said Joe Tackitt, a senior police official.

According to the police, as Kelley emerged from the church leaving behind a scene of carnage, an armed neighbour exchanged gunfire with him, hitting Kelley, who fled in his vehicle.

Kelley then crashed his car and the police found him dead inside the vehicle.

Of the 26 fatalities, 23 people were found dead inside the church, two outside and one died later at a hospital.

Governor Greg Abbott said that he and other Texans were asking “for God’s comfort, for God’s guidance and for God’s healing for all those who are suffering”, reports The New York Times.

President Donald Trump, who is currently in Japan on his five-nation Asia trip, called it a “horrific shooting”. He ordered flags flown at half-staff at the White House and all federal buildings till Thursday.

In a time of crisis, he said: “Americans will do what we do best: we pull together and join hands and lock arms and through the tears and sadness we stand strong.”

Sunday’s massacre unfolded on the eighth anniversary of the attack in 2009 on Fort Hood in Texas, when an Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, killed 13 people in one of the deadliest mass shootings at an American military base.

The death toll on Sunday also exceeded the number killed in 1966 by a student at the University of Texas at Austin, Charles Whitman, who opened fire from the school’s clock tower in a day of violence that killed 17.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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