Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the system failed in the Texas shooting case.
“The vetting system did identify this individual, but the system failed us,” Mr. Spicer said on Fox News, commenting on the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that left 26 people dead and 20 wounded.
Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire on the church Sunday. His motive remains unknown at this time, but the 26-year-old’s in-laws attended the church. They were not in attendance on Sunday.
Kelley, was a member of the Air Force from 2010 to 2014 and was court-martialed for assaulting his spouse and stepchild in 2012. He received a bad-conduct discharge, which should have prevented him from buying a firearm or the body armor he was reportedly wearing.
The Air Force admitted Monday that it failed to put Kelley’s court-martial into the federal database.
“This individual was identified because of their record and because of the actions that they’d taken that should’ve stopped them from buying a gun,” Mr. Spicer said.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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