Two people were injured and a suspect was killed in a shooting Sunday afternoon at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Texas authorities said.
Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference that the shooting began at 1:53 p.m. The shooting occurred just as a Spanish-language church service was scheduled to begin.
The suspect, a woman, entered the church carrying a long rifle. Finner said she was wearing a backpack and a trench coat and was accompanied by a “small child, about 4 or 5 years old.”
After she began firing, an off-duty police officer at the scene “engaged” the woman and returned fire. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two people were killed in a shooting at a Lakewood church, police said. (Kou)
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Two people were injured, including a 57-year-old man who was shot in the leg, police said. A child who was with the gunman was also injured and is in critical condition.
Finner also said the suspect had said he had a bomb.
“As she collapsed, officers informed us that she had threatened to have a bomb,” the police chief explained. “So we searched her car, bomb squad and also her backpack.” [she brought]. ”
Police Chief Troy Finner announced that the female shooter has died. (Kou)
“No explosives were found, but she did spray some kind of substance on the ground.”
The gunman’s death was first announced by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez earlier that afternoon.
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“Correction: The shooter has fallen,” Gonzalez wrote on social media. “But it appears that @HCSOTexas deputies did not fire the shots. Other agencies did.”
An off-duty Houston police officer shot and killed a female suspect at a Lakewood church, authorities said. (Kou)
“We continue to support a systematic and thorough search of the complex.”
At approximately 2:10 p.m., Gonzalez announced, “Shots may have been fired in or around Lakewood Church.” Less than an hour later, Texas police confirmed the scene was Lakewood Church.
Police then advised anyone with missing family members to head to a “family reunification site” at the Life Time Fitness gym in Greenway Plaza.
Texas authorities arrive to investigate a shooting at a Lakewood church. (KRIV)
Lakewood Church confirmed the shooting at X and asked patrons to “please pray for Lakewood and our community.”
Gov. Greg Abbott called the shooting “tragic” in a press release sent to local news outlets.
“Our hearts are with those affected by today’s tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston,” Abbott said. “Places of worship are sacred.”
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No deaths were reported by the shooter other than the suspect. (Kou)
FOX News Digital has reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto contributed to this report.
