HELOTES, Texas – The church community at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and the community in Helotes are working through tragedy, after a double shooting at the church on Wednesday afternoon.
Helotes police have confirmed it was a murder-suicide.
Police said this is the second murder in Helotes since it was incorporated in 1981. The other murder 18 years ago also a murder/suicide.
Community members said they were shocked.
Parishioner Francis Galan said it was the last thing he expected to hear Wednesday night when he drove up to church with his son.
"Just coming tonight for my son's first holy communion class," said Galan. "This is shocking to say the least."
Galan was stunned to hear there had been a murder inside the church. For a moment, he said he just didn't know how he would explain this to his young son.
"It's something I have to process," he said.
The priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has been in close contact with the Archbishop on how the church will help the community get through this tragedy.
"Our response will be prayer," said Deacon Pat Rodgers, director of communications for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. "Our response will be asking for God's mercy and our response will be asking for God's healing."
The church will still hold mass in the chapel on Thursday morning at 8 a.m.
"It's impossible for me to even imagine why they were here, what was going on between them and what ultimately led to what happened," said Rodgers. "And, that's a piece we still don't know, what happened."