On Sunday afternoon, law enforcement officials responded to Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Texas in response to a “possible active shooter.” The suspect in the shooting reportedly died, but a man and a child were shot.
KTRK reported, “Disruption broke out as the 2 p.m. Spanish-language service was about to begin.”
An eyewitness told the magazine: “The whole church started praying and proclaiming the name of Jesus. I thought, ‘This may be the last time I pray, this may be the last time I can praise the name of Jesus. No, so I thought, ‘I’ll do it.'” Do this. ‘”
A man told KTRK that he fled the megachurch in southwest Houston with his three young daughters after hearing 20 to 30 gunshots.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez I have written At 3:10 p.m. ET, a statement on the X social media platform said, “We have received an initial report of possible shots fired in or around Lakewood Church.”
Later Lakewood Church said“There is an active shooting situation in Lakewood. Law enforcement is on scene.”
gonzalez Said“The gunman has gone down. However, it appears that @HCSOTexas deputies did not fire the shots. Other agencies did. We continue to support a methodical and thorough search of the complex.”
Houston police said the suspect, a 30 to 35-year-old woman, entered Lakewood Church with a long gun, a trench coat and a backpack. She had a child around 5 years old with her.
HPD Chief Troy Finner said the Lakewood shooter, Joel Osteens, was shot and killed by an off-duty Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer. TABC officers reportedly worked at Lakewood Church.
However, a 5-year-old child was also shot and is in critical condition. A 57-year-old man was shot in the leg.
The gunman allegedly threatened to carry a bomb, but law enforcement found no explosives. She was also said to have “sprayed some type of substance,” Finner said.
“She had a long gun, so it could have been a lot worse,” a police spokesperson said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued the following statement:
Our hearts are with those affected by today’s tragic mass shooting and with the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. I have been in touch with Mayor Whitmire and have the full support of the State of Texas, including Department of Public Safety officers and Texas Rangers, to assist this community and bring swift justice to the criminals who committed this heinous act. and provided resources. Please join Cecilia and me in praying for this community during this difficult time and for the brave men and women in blue who acted quickly to respond to this tragedy.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new details arrive.
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