A grand jury in Texas decided Monday to take no action against a man who fatally shot an armed man who killed two people at a Fort Worth-area church in late December, prosecutors said.
Jack Wilson, a firearms instructor who trained a volunteer security team at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, fatally shot Keith Thomas Kinnunen during a Dec. 29 service after he shot and killed 67-year-old Richard White, another security volunteer, and 64-year-old Anton “Tony” Wallace, a server.
As the attacker shot the two men, congregants scrambled for cover. The gunman was heading to the front of the sanctuary as Wilson searched for a clear line of fire. His single shot quickly ended the attack.
Prosecutors said there were about 260 people in the church at the time.
Tim Rodgers, a prosecutor with the Tarrant County district attorney’s office, said Monday that Texas law allows a person witnessing someone placing others at risk of serious injury or death to act with deadly force to protect others.
“Mr. Wilson did just that. He did it responsibly and, as a result, he was justified under the law in his actions,” Rodgers said. “Based upon the grand jury’s decision, the law enforcement investigation and our review of the case are complete. We believe the grand jury made the right decision.”
After the shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott gave Wilson Texas’ highest civilian honor: the Governor’s Medal of Courage.
