Texas Rangers served a search warrant on Apple in hopes of getting data from the iPhone of Sutherland Springs mass shooter Devin Patrick Kelley.
Rangers obtained search warrants on Nov. 9 for files stored on Kelley’s iPhone SE, which was found with him after he took his own life following a high-speed chase. The warrant also requests any files stored on Kelley’s iCloud account.
The San Antonio Express-News obtained court records regarding the warrants and broke the story Thursday.
Apple provides iCloud content to police agencies that request it through a search warrant, the Express-News reported. In the San Bernardino mass shooting in 2015, Apple refused a request by the FBI to create software for the agency to open an iPhone found with one of the attackers.
Apple and the FBI were headed for a showdown in court, but the case was dropped after agents paid a hacker some $900,000 to open the phone.
Apple would not comment when contacted by the Express-News.
Kelley opened fire on the congregation of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on Nov. 5, killing 26 people. Two citizens who heard the gunfire and chased Kelley as he drove off. Rangers believe Kelley killed himself during the pursuit.
Kelley’s iPhone SE was found on the floor of his vehicle. A second mobile phone, an LG, was also found in the car.
Source: San Antonio Express-News
