HOOD COUNTY, Texas (NBC News) – Jack Wilson is the Deacon in charge of security at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. He is the man police say took down the gunman who opened fire inside the church this weekend.
“You don’t know when something bad is going to happen or where it’s going to happen. so what I tell my students not just on the security team but just the regular students getting a license to carry is you carry it anywhere and everywhere you legally can because you never know when you’re going to have to use it.”
Jack Wilson, Killed the church gunman
He spoke to local reporters on Monday, December 30th.
Wilson was asked when he knew something was wrong and he spoke about the signs he saw.
“When the individual first entered the building there was concern,” said Wilson. “The individual was wearing a 3/4 coat, long coat, and had on a fake beard, and a fake wig.”
That was when he told the security team to pay close attention to the individual and told the audio-visual team to turn a camera specifically on the suspect.
“I fired one round and the subject went down,” said Wilson. “I went to cover him, at that point I kicked the shotgun back behind me put it against the wall. It still felt like it had ammo in it. I don’t know how many rounds of ammo were in it.”
When Wilson got over to cover him, there were five to six others on the security team that headed over to secure the area but the gunman did not attempt to move.
Officials and Wilson have confirmed that it took six seconds to take the suspect out from the time the gunman got up with the shotgun from the time he was shot.
“The only clear shot I had was his head because I still had people in the pews that were not all the way down as low as they could and that was my one shot,” said Wilson.
“It is a close-knit congregation. It’s a close family type situation so I’m concerned and I’m upset for that. I don’t feel like I killed a human, I killed an evil and that’s how I’m coping with the situation.” says Wilson.
Wilson says if you are a part of a security team or an individual or carries a firearm to practice and keep practicing because you are responsible once you pull the trigger.
