Texas Pastor in tears after losing his teen daughter 

The pastor of the Texas church where 26 people were shot dead on Sunday broke down as he spoke about losing his 14-year-old daughter in the brutal massacre.

Annabelle Pomeroy was among the dozens killed yesterday after Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Her adopted father First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy, who had been out of town during the attack, spoke about his tragic loss at a Monday morning press conference.

‘We’ve had a long night with our children and grandbabies we have left,’ he told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion. ‘I don’t understand, but I know my God does.’ 

 

First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy broke down in tears as he spoke about losing his 14-year-old adopted daughter in the brutal massacre

During a press conference on Monday, her father, Frank (above), became emotional of the loss alongside his wife, Sherri

During a press conference on Monday, Frank and his wife Sherri (above), became emotional over the attack

The grieving father described Annabelle, known as Belle, as ‘one beautiful girl, and a ‘special child.’ 

‘We lost more than Belle yesterday,’ said his wife Sherri Pomeroy. ‘And one thing that gives me a sliver of encouragement is that Belle was surrounded yesterday by her family that she loved fiercely.’

‘We ate together, we laughed together, we cried together, and we worshiped together. Now most of our church family is gone, our building is probably beyond repair and the few of us that are left behind lost tragically yesterday.

‘As senseless as this tragedy was, our sweet Belle would not have been able to deal with losing so much family.’

Annabell Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of the church pastor, was the first victim identified in Sunday's shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday. Her mother said having fun at the pool was her favorite thing

Annabell Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of the church pastor, was the first victim identified in Sunday's shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday.

Annabell Pomeroy, the 14-year-old daughter of the church pastor, was the first victim identified in Sunday’s shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday

Law enforcement officials near the scene of a fatal shooting at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday afternoon, where the flags in front of the church have been lowered to half-staff

Law enforcement officials near the scene of a fatal shooting at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday afternoon, where the flags in front of the church have been lowered to half-staff

The couple, who comforted each other during the short presser, urged people: ‘Please don’t forget Sutherland Springs.’

Their daughter was a seventh grader at Briesemeister Middle School and the school district have made counselors available to students affected by the shooting.

Annabelle’s family also paid tribute to the 14-year-old.

‘Heaven truly gained a real beautiful angel this morning along with many more,’ the girl’s uncle, Scott Pomeroy, wrote on his Facebook page, posting a picture of the smiling girl poolside in a bathing suit. 

He wrote: All those robbed of life in Sunday’s bloodbath, he wrote, ‘have taken their last breath of dirty air and took their first breath of heavenly air with new bodies with no pain and suffering.’ 

Frank Pomeroy told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion, that they'd had 'a long night with our children and grandbabies we have left'

Frank Pomeroy told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion, that they’d had ‘a long night with our children and grandbabies we have left’

'I don't understand, but I know my God does,' added Pomeroy, who is normally the pastor at the church, but was out of town during the attack

'I don't understand, but I know my God does,' added Pomeroy, who is normally the pastor at the church, but was out of town during the attack

 ‘I don’t understand, but I know my God does,’ added Pomeroy, who is normally the pastor at the church, but was out of town during the attack

The couple, who comforted each other during the short presser, urged people: 'Please don't forget Sutherland Springs'

The couple, who comforted each other during the short presser, urged people: ‘Please don’t forget Sutherland Springs’

Sherri Pomeroy (C) along while standing next to her husband Frank Pomeroy (L), pastor of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs at the press conference on Monday

Sherri Pomeroy (C) along while standing next to her husband Frank Pomeroy (L), pastor of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs at the press conference on Monday

 At least 26 people were killed during the massacre, the worst shooting in Texan history on Sunday, while 20 were injured. 

The victims ranged in age from 18 months to 77, with two killed outside the church, 23 killed inside, and one person who died after medical transport, officials said.

They also include the stand-in pastor for the Pomeroys, Bryan Holcombe. Witnesses say he was the first victim to be struck by the shooter’s gunfire.

‘Bryan was filling in,’ a witness told DailyMail.com. ‘He was walking up to the pulpit when he was shot in the back. He was an awesome Christian.

He was killed, alongside his wife of 25 years, Sunday school teacher Karla Holcombe, their son Marc Daniel ‘Danny’ Holcombe, 36, and his one-year-old daughter Noah. Bryan and Karla’s daughter-in-law Crystal, a mother-of-five who was eight months pregnant was also killed alongside three of her children: Megan, Emily and Greg. Two of her other children and her husband John survived the shooting.

Investigators said Kelley did not have a license to carry and had sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law, a member of the church.

He was found with three gunshot wounds, one self-inflicted to head; and two from armed citizen, one in the leg and one to the torso.

The official cause of death is pending an autopsy, but officials believe Kelley may committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Authorities are treating the shooting as a domestic incident. 

First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy told ABC that his daughter was among one of the dead

Annabelle Renee Pomeroy (left) was the first victim named in the shooting at a Texas church on Sunday morning. She is the 14-year-old daughter of the church’s pastor Frank Pomeroy (pictured right with his wife Sherri Newman Pomeroy)

First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy (pictured inside the church a prior Sunday) said that his 14-year-old daughter Annabelle, who was killed in the shooting, was 'one beautiful girl, and a 'special child'

First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy (pictured inside the church a prior Sunday) said that his 14-year-old daughter Annabelle, who was killed in the shooting, was ‘one beautiful girl, and a ‘special child’

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk