Grand Jury Makes No-Brainer Decision in Texas Church Shooting Case

On December 29, 2019, Jack Wilson was volunteering as a security guard at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement when he fatally shot a man who'd opened fire inside the house of worship. This week, a grand jury decided he won't face charges.

I really can't believe I'm even writing about this. To me, it seems like a no-brainer: a man started shooting people inside a church, and fatally wounded two men in their 60's. A man who was there to protect and preserve lives took the gunman out. Of course he shouldn't face charges!

According to an Associated Press story shared by our partners at News 10 today, Tarrant County prosecutor Tim Rodgers agrees with me. He told the AP that under Texas law, a person who witnesses someone putting people at risk of injury or death has the right to act with deadly force to protect others.

"Mr. Wilson did just that," Rodgers told the AP. "He did it responsibly and, as a result, he was justified under the law in his actions." Rodgers said the grand jury made the right decision and Wilson's in the clear.

Yes, I know we live in a society of laws and an investigation had to take place. I'm glad we try to be thorough with these cases and make sure everything is in order. Still, I'm sure that was the shortest meeting of a grand jury in Texas history. I can't imagine anyone was gung-ho to press any sort of charges against a man who stopped a monster from murdering people in a church.

By the way, Jack Wilson was decorated for his quick thinking and heroism. Back on January 13, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott presented Wilson with the Governor's Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion - the highest award given to civilians by the governor. It's awarded to citizens who risk their own safety to save someone's life.

"When faced with an evil that few of us will ever comprehend, Jack Wilson responded with strength, bravery, and with love for those in the church that day," Abbott said at the ceremony. "The courage in his actions cannot be understated, and Jack is not only a hero to West Freeway Church of Christ — he is a hero to the entire state of Texas."

The world is in a sad state when a man like Wilson even has to be on guard in a house of God, but it's a blessing he was there to put a stop to the gunman before he could take more lives.