HOUSTON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- For the first time since Texas church shooting happened, the gunman's father spoke to the public on Thursday, saying his family was grieving and hurting.

In an interview with ABC, Michael Kelley said, "we are grieving, our family is grieving." "I don't want our lives, our grandchildren's lives, destroyed by this media circus."

Devin Kelley killed 26 people and wounded another 20 in a South Texas church in Sutherland Springs Sunday morning.

Kevin Kelley received a bad-conduct discharge from the U.S. Air Force for assaulting his wife and child, and was sentenced to 12 months' confinement after a 2012 court-martial.

He served in Logistics Readiness at the Holloman Air Force Base in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge, U.S. Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told media earlier.

Stefanek later confirmed the Air Force didn't report the shooter's domestic violence conviction to the FBI, leaving the door open for him to buy weapons and make the mass killing.