Blood-spattered iPhone among items recovered from Texas church shooter's car

Texas Rangers send Apple search warrant for information on gunman's phone

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS – Texas Rangers served Apple with a search warrant earlier this month, asking the tech company for information on an iPhone recovered from the Sutherland Springs gunman's car.

Warrants show investigators recovered a silver Apple iPhone SE and an older model, black LG cell phone from Devin Kelley's car after the November 5 shooting.

According to the warrant, authorities are asking for information on the iPhone dating back to Jan. 1, 2016.

The warrant asks Apple for iCloud documents, reading lists, bookmarks, internet history, GPS location logs and more.

Investigators said Kelley called his father while he was being chased down by two members of the Sutherland Springs community on the afternoon of Nov. 5 shooting, telling him that he had been shot and “didn’t think he was going to make it."

The warrant states investigators discovered Kelley had a Facebook and that they suspect Kelley had other social media accounts.

Investigators said perpetrators often utilize social media, email and text messages to communicate with people about the crimes they have committed or intend to commit, and that information from these platforms could provide investigators with more information in the shooting.

The warrant states electronic records or data on the phone could provide officials with a better timeline of events, additional witnesses, victims or co-conspirators.

So far, authorities have identified four email accounts under Kelley's name: thelifeofdevin@gmail.com, devinkelley1991@gmail.com, sevenup555@yahoo.com and kelleydevin1991@gmail.com.

Apple told the Washington Post in a statement that it had reached out to investigators immediately after the shooting and would expedite a response to any legal process sent.

"Our team immediately reached out to the FBI after learning from their press conference on Tuesday that investigators were trying to access a mobile phone," the statement read. "We offered assistance and said we would expedite our response to any legal process they send us.”

Apple "will only provide content in response to a search warrant issued upon a showing of probable
cause," officials said in an online statement.

The warrant showing probable cause was signed by Russell Wilson, a Wilson County judge, on Nov. 9 -- four days after the shooting.


About the Authors

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.

Recommended Videos