In Texas, a small town reels – and rallies – after church shooting

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS, AND NEW YORK—On a normal day in Sutherland Springs, Texas, all there is to fill the country air is the barks of local dogs and the hum of cars passing by. Indeed, locals say – with a hint of pride – you can drive through this town of several hundred without even noticing you did.

But Sunday was not a normal day here. Instead, a lone, black-clad gunman shattered the town’s tranquility with a hail of bullets that left at least 26 dead and 20 wounded in the First Baptist Church. Neighbors chased the gunman away and found him dead in his crashed car in the next county.

The tragedy in a close-knit, rural town that considers itself just outside of San Antonio’s commuting range was a reminder that in America, while a town may not have a single traffic light, it can still have a mass shooting.

“It’s a peaceful town. Everyone knows everyone,” says Rita Serna, who grew up in Sutherland Springs and sang her first solo in the First Baptist Church.

“It’s sad, disturbing, unbelievable,” she adds, “but possible in today’s times.”

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