Gunman drew suspicion of security before shooting, Fort Worth-area church elder says

A gunman’s appearance drew the attention of church security before he opened fire, according to an elder who attended the service.

The shooter killed two men Sunday before he was shot and killed by a member of the security team of the West Freeway Church of Christ, 1900 S. Las Vegas Trail, authorities said.

Mike Tinius, church elder, said he had never seen the man before, and had certainly never seen him at church. The shooter had no apparent motive, Tinius said.

“It was random,” he said.

Tinius did not elaborate what it was about the gunman’s appearance that attracted the attention of security team members.

The shooter opened fire without warning, Tinius said. And the exchange of gunfire was rapid, lasting only a few seconds.

“By the sequence of events it should be assumed that he came in with an idea,” Tinius said.

A video of the service shows the gunman fired twice before a man in the congregation returned fire within seconds.

The gunman wore a pullover knit cap and a hoodie that appeared to be made from the same fabric used to make windbreakers.

Isabel Arrreola, 38, said the gunman sat down two feet behind her and her 7-year-old daughter.

His beard and the hair on his head looked fake, and he made her uncomfortable, Arreola said. She noticed him from the moment that he sat down, Arreola said.

Arreola said she could tell that one of the members of the security team was concerned about the shooter because he sat in the back right near him.

“They saved us,” Arreola said. “Unfortunately, two men lost their lives while they were doing so.”

Arreola said she couldn’t concentrate when the man was sitting behind her. She and her husband decided they would move to the other side of the church after communion, Arreola said.

“I should have listened to my gut,” Arreola said. “While he was there I couldn’t sing. I couldn’t pray. There was just something not right about him. But at the same time I thought that maybe I was being too hard.”

Pastor: ‘Our home was invaded by evil’

West Freeway Church of Christ Senior Pastor Britt Farmer said he is thankful for a law that went into effect in September that allows licensed gun owners to carry their weapons in church.

“We lost two great men today, but it could have been a lot worse,” Farmer said at a news conference Sunday night.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and several law enforcement officials praised the church’s security team for its quick action. Patrick said more lives would have been lost if the congregation had to wait for police to respond.

Farmer said he hopes his church can be an example.

“Today our home was invaded by evil. The sad thing is it happens all the time, as far as evil is concerned,” he said. “And I hope and pray that not only will we survive this, I know we will, but that in some way we might be a beacon to those who don’t know what to do. Because today we proved that not only can we be God-loving, God-fearing people, but that we can protect each other as well.”

He also praised law enforcement officers for the way they handled the situation when they arrived, calling them professional and kind in the wake of the shooting.

The church will hold a special service open only to church members at 6 p.m. Monday, followed by a public statement by Farmer.

20 years after Wedgwood

The shooting comes a little more than 20 years after a gunman killed seven people at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth.

Wedgwood Associate Pastor Jeff Laster was the first to make contact with the gunman, who wore mirrored sunglasses and a pullover.

“Someone made the comment that he looked like an angry parent,” Laster told the Star-Telegram in September.

The odd thing is that as he approached the door, he looked as though he had no intention of putting his cigarette out, Laster said. The two met and Laster said he planned to tell him that he could not smoke inside.

“His words were: ‘Is this where that damn religious meeting is being held?’” Laster said. “And from there he pulls out a 9 mm from under his shirt and he shoots me in the stomach and his arm goes up from the gun recoil and he shoots me in the arm.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2019 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Gunman drew suspicion of security before shooting, Fort Worth-area church elder says."