Sutherland Springs: First pictures from inside mass shooting church
- Published
People prayed as Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church reopened as a memorial to the 26 people killed in last week's shooting.
Mourners were permitted inside to pay their respects. Twenty-six chairs commemorate the dead at the spots where they were killed.
On each chair, there is a single rose and the name of a shooting victim. There's one with a small pink rose for Crystal Holcombe's unborn child next to its mother's.
The book of Proverbs was available for worshippers to read, surrounded by boxes of tissues.
The church building was open only for people to pay their respects. The actual Sunday service was held in a specially-erected tent on the site of the town's baseball field.
Mark Collins, an associate pastor, held a news conference outside the church. He said the memorial service was the largest gathering in the church’s 100-year history.
Mourners left flowers at a memorial to those killed. Ray Flores (pictured) is a resident of San Antonio who had come to pay his respects.
Many from the local community came to pay their respects.
Emergency services were among those who paid tribute to the dead.