After police tracked down his vehicle, he was found dead  inside his car.

Authorities have said they are yet to determine if he was shot dead by another man, a local resident who engaged with him, as suggested by reports, or shot himself.

The fatal incident took place near the Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday morning.

According to authorities, he was a white male, dressed in black, who entered the church and opened fire.

Later he was confronted by another man, and following a brief altercation, the suspect fled the spot in a car.

Condoling the loss, Texas governor Greg Abbott said: “There are so many families who have lost family members, and it occurred in a church, in a place of worship. That’s where these people were mown down. We mourn their loss.”

The the deceased are yet to be identified, they ranged between ages 5 to 72.

Meanwhile, CBS reported that the suspect was a former "airman who was dishonourably discharged".

In a two-part tweet, former US President Barack Obama said, "We grieve with all the families in Sutherland Springs harmed by this act of hatred, and we’ll stand with the survivors as they recover."

"May God also grant all of us the wisdom to ask what concrete steps we can take to reduce the violence and weaponry in our midst," he said.

US President Donald Trump, who is presently touring Asia, said, "Americans do what we do best: we pull together. We join hands. We lock arms and through the tears and the sadness, we stand strong."