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Service honors Sutherland Springs victims; Cornyn seeks stronger background checks

After attending a service honoring the victims of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) spoke out on gun control.
Crosses pay tribute to the 26 people killed in the Sutherland Springs mass shooting.

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas -- A First Baptist Church service was held Sunday, exactly one week after a gunman shot and killed 26 people in the tight-knit community of Sutherland Springs.

The 11 a.m. service was held at a local baseball field, not the site of the mass shooting inside the church.

The church's sanctuary will be open the to the public Sunday at 5 p.m. It will then be open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. for people who wish to pay their respects.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) spoke with reporters after attending the service.

"It was so amazing to see Pastor [Frank] Pomeroy comforting other people. Obviously, these are people of great faith. This community is pulling together, and you can see support coming from the state and all over the world," Cornyn said.

Pomeroy's 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, was killed in the shooting.

Cornyn also said he plans to introduce a bill that will strengthen current law regarding firearm background checks and the process of obtaining a firearm.

"When people don't do the little things, they have big consequences. That's certainly what happened here," Cornyn said.

He also said there needs to be government accountability.

"I'm determined to do everything that I can with my colleagues to try to make a policy to prevent something like this from happening again," he said.

Members of the media were not permitted to record audio or video of the private service, per the church's wishes.

Sunday was also proclaimed as a day of prayer in Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott.

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