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Man who shot Texas church gunman shares his story

Man who shot Texas church gunman shares his story
WEBVTT JOSHUA KOHLEXCLUSIVELY.>> WE ARE JUST DOWN THE STREET.BEHIND ME IN THE DISTANCE, YOUCAN SEE THE YELLOW TENT.IN FRONT OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE ABLACK TRUCK.THAT IS WHERE THE MAN WAS ABLETO GET TO AN EXCHAN GUNFIREAND EVENTUALLY HELPED INSTOPPING HIM.FOR ME, THIS I A VERY PERSONALSTORY.I KNOW H FROM GROWING UP.HE TOOK US TO THE CRIME SCENE,WHERE HE EXCHANGE GUNFIRE.>> I COULD HEAR THE SHOTS.>> YOU ARE ROUNDING THE CORNERHERE.>> IN THAT MOMENT, WHAT IS GOINGTHROUGH YOUR MIND?>> I'M THINKING I HAVE GOT TOGET THERE AND STOP WHAT ISHAPPENING.>> WHEN HE SAW ME, HE REACTED TOME.I DON'T THINK HE EXPECTED TO SEEME.THIS CAR HAS A BULLET HOLE.AND THERE'S ONE IN THE HOUSE.>> COULD USE SEE PEOPLE?>> NO.>> HE SHOT ACROSS THE STREETINTO THESE NEIGHBORS HOMES.I KNEW THAT WOULD BE WORTHYTACTICAL GEAR -- GEAR WOULD NOTCOVER.-- HE IS IN THE CAR.MADE ONE LAST SHOT.>> WHERE WAS JOHNNY IN ALL THIS.>> I WAS SCARED LIKE YOU CAN'TEVEN IMAGINE.-- THEY SAY IN THAT MOMENT, THEYWERE THANKFUL FOR HIM TO BE ABLETO GO OUT THERE.HE SAYS HE DOES NOT CONSIDERHIMSELF A HERO AT ALL.
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Man who shot Texas church gunman shares his story
Stephen Willeford shot and chased the man who killed 26 people in a Texas church on Sunday. He spoke to 40/29 News in an exclusive sit-down interview on Monday.Tap or click here to watch Stephen Willeford's daughter tell her story in an exclusive interview.Willeford was at home when his daughter came into his bedroom to tell him she heard gunshots at the First Baptist Church nearby.Willeford, a former NRA instructor, got his rifle out of his safe while his daughter looked outside again. She ran back in and told him she saw a man in black tactical gear shooting up the church."I kept hearing the shots, one after another, very rapid shots - just 'pop pop pop pop' and I knew every one of those shots represented someone, that it was aimed at someone, that they weren't just random shots," Willeford said."Willeford loaded his magazine and ran across the street to the church, not even taking the time to put on shoes. When Willeford saw the gunman, he exchanged gunfire."He saw me and I saw him," Willeford said. "I was standing behind a pickup truck for cover.""I know I hit him," Willeford said. "He got into his vehicle, and he fired another couple rounds through his side window. When the window dropped, I fired another round at him again."The gunman then sped down the highway.Willeford spotted a pickup truck at a stop sign. He ran to the truck and asked the driver for help."That guy just shot up the Baptist church. We need to stop him," Willeford told the driver.Willeford and the driver chased the gunman down the highway. On the way, they called 911 to give a description of the gunman's vehicle and where they were.Eventually, they caught up to the gunman's truck. The gunman slowed down before speeding up and hitting a road sign. The gunman's truck flipped and went down into a ditch.Willeford got out of the truck and put his rifle on top of the truck, keeping his eye on where the gunman's vehicle was.Willeford yelled "get out of the truck, get out of the truck," but never saw any movement. Law enforcement came to the scene. They believe the gunman committed suicide.Willeford said he's no hero."I think my God, my Lord protected me and gave me the skills to do what needed to be done," Willeford said.Willeford's family has lived in the Sutherland Springs area for four generations. He had numerous friends who went to the church.The mass shooting left 20 others wounded in the small town, about 30 miles east of San Antonio.Law enforcement later identified the suspect as Devin Patrick Kelley.The massacre killed about 4% of the town's population. And no one at church was left unscathed, Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said."I think nearly everyone had some type of injury," the sheriff told reporters Monday.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the slaughter "the largest mass shooting" in the state's history and ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the state Monday.

Stephen Willeford shot and chased the man who killed 26 people in a Texas church on Sunday. He spoke to 40/29 News in an exclusive sit-down interview on Monday.

Tap or click here to watch Stephen Willeford's daughter tell her story in an exclusive interview.

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Willeford was at home when his daughter came into his bedroom to tell him she heard gunshots at the First Baptist Church nearby.

Willeford, a former NRA instructor, got his rifle out of his safe while his daughter looked outside again. She ran back in and told him she saw a man in black tactical gear shooting up the church.

"I kept hearing the shots, one after another, very rapid shots - just 'pop pop pop pop' and I knew every one of those shots represented someone, that it was aimed at someone, that they weren't just random shots," Willeford said."

Willeford loaded his magazine and ran across the street to the church, not even taking the time to put on shoes. When Willeford saw the gunman, he exchanged gunfire.

"He saw me and I saw him," Willeford said. "I was standing behind a pickup truck for cover."

"I know I hit him," Willeford said. "He got into his vehicle, and he fired another couple rounds through his side window. When the window dropped, I fired another round at him again."

The gunman then sped down the highway.

Willeford spotted a pickup truck at a stop sign. He ran to the truck and asked the driver for help.

"That guy just shot up the Baptist church. We need to stop him," Willeford told the driver.

Willeford and the driver chased the gunman down the highway. On the way, they called 911 to give a description of the gunman's vehicle and where they were.

Eventually, they caught up to the gunman's truck. The gunman slowed down before speeding up and hitting a road sign. The gunman's truck flipped and went down into a ditch.

Willeford got out of the truck and put his rifle on top of the truck, keeping his eye on where the gunman's vehicle was.

Willeford yelled "get out of the truck, get out of the truck," but never saw any movement. Law enforcement came to the scene. They believe the gunman committed suicide.

Willeford said he's no hero.

"I think my God, my Lord protected me and gave me the skills to do what needed to be done," Willeford said.

Willeford's family has lived in the Sutherland Springs area for four generations. He had numerous friends who went to the church.

The mass shooting left 20 others wounded in the small town, about 30 miles east of San Antonio.

Law enforcement later identified the suspect as Devin Patrick Kelley.

The massacre killed about 4% of the town's population. And no one at church was left unscathed, Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said.

"I think nearly everyone had some type of injury," the sheriff told reporters Monday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the slaughter "the largest mass shooting" in the state's history and ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the state Monday.