(RNN) – Whole families were nearly wiped out in the mass shooting at First Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, TX. The gunman did not spare mothers, children, the elderly, the most devout members or visitors.

The 26 people killed Sunday made up about 4 percent of the unincorporated area’s population. On Wednesday, officials released a list of the people killed in the shooting.

On social media and elsewhere, family members and friends have shared stories of those who lost their lives. 

Peggy Lynn Warden was sitting in church with her 18-year old grandson Zachary when the shooting began. Zachary is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds in his arms and legs, The family said as soon as he was able to speak in the hospital, he said of his grandmother, “She saved me.” Warden, who was 56, lost her husband to cancer in June and had overcome her own battle with breast cancer.  A family member said of Warden, “She is our hero.”

Keith Braden, 62, had served in the Army National Guard and worked at a local grocery store. He and his wife of 30 years, Debbie, were regular churchgoers at Sutherland Springs. The couple was in a pew with their 6-year-old granddaughter Zoe. Both Debbie and Zoe have undergone multiple surgeries. Little Zoe was shot in the hip and may lose one of her legs, family members say. 

Annabelle Pomeroy, 14, who went by the name Belle, was the daughter of the church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, and his wife, Sheri. Both parents had been out of town, in two different states, at the time of the shooting.

On Monday, Sheri Pomeroy spoke to reporters about her daughter.

“As senseless as this tragedy was, our sweet Belle would not have been able to deal with losing so much family,” she said.

Bryan Holcombe took to the pulpit as guest pastor Sunday, bringing with him his wife, Karla, and their large, close-knit family. The couple was killed, along with their son, Danny, their pregnant daughter-in-law Crystal, three of their young granddaughters and one of their grandsons. Granddaughter Noah was only 17 months old. Crystal’s unborn child was included in the death count.

Tara McNulty, a mother of two, was so close to the Holcombes that she referred to Bryan and Karla as “mom and dad.” One of her friends described her on social media as “a sweet, kind and loving woman, mother and daughter who will be missed by many.” Her children were injured but survived.

Lula White, 71, a frequent volunteer at the church, was the grandmother of the gunman’s wife. A family member posted to Facebook, “I don’t think there was ever a time I saw her she didn’t have a smile on her face and a crazy fun tactic up her sleeve.”

Dennis Johnson, 77, and his wife, Sara, 68, were married 44 years and had six children and many grandchildren. Their nephew posted to Facebook, “R.I.P. to my uncle Dennis and my aunt Sara. I’m lost for words and still in shock.”

Joann Ward was in the back pew of the church with her children. She reportedly died trying to shield them from the bullets, but two of her daughters, Brooke, 5, and Emily, 7, were killed alongside her 

Ward was also the stepmother of 5-year-old Ryland Ward, who is in critical condition, and 8-year-old Rhianna, who survived after a bullet reportedly hit her glasses and ricocheted. 

Richard and Theresa Rodriguez were married for 11 years. Richard’s daughter Regina told CNN, “If they weren’t at church, they were always in their yard working on their garden beds or cutting the grass.”

Haley Krueger, 16, had plans to become a nurse and work in a neonatal unit. She arrived at the church early Sunday to help make breakfast for church members. 

Scott Marshall, 56, and his wife, Karen Marshall, 57, were first-time visitors to the church where they were slain. The Air Force couple, who had been together for 32 years, had recently retired to La Vernia, TX. 

Robert and Shani Corrigan were high school sweethearts and doting grandparents. Robert served in the Air Force for 29 years; two of the couple’s sons currently serve in the military. Another son, Forrest Tyler Corrigan, died in 2016 at the age of 25. His funeral service was held at First Baptist Church, where his parents lost their lives. 

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