Texas law enforcement personnel engaged and killed the female shooter who was responsible for injuring two people, including one child, at a Houston megachurch led by Joel Osteen.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon and involved a woman who wore a trench coat and carrying a backpack open firing with her rifle inside the Lakewood Church. The church is among the largest congregations in the United States.
During a news conference, Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said that the suspect reportedly came in with a boy who was roughly four or five years old. Two off-duty law enforcement officers who were working at the church were the ones who responded to the incident and engaged with the suspect.
The boy that the suspect came in with was also shot, but it remained unclear whether or not it was from the suspect or the officers. The young victim was said to be in critical condition at a hospital.
Furthermore, a man in his 50s was also shot in the leg and was hospitalized but was in stable condition. The female suspect, who officials described as being in her 30s, also threatened that she had a bomb. She appeared to have sprayed an unidentified substance on the ground, as per the New York Times.
Chief Finner noted that the suspect had a long gun and argued that the entire incident could have gone worse, but said that the motive of the shooter is still unclear. The incident took place as a Spanish-language service was beginning.
The Lakewood Church, which roughly 45,000 people attend every week, draws an even larger audience for Osteen's sermons online and on television. Video footage that was posted to the church's social media showed congregants standing and cheering earlier on Sunday as a band played onstage.
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Female Suspect Killed
Another video showed Osteen, who is the son of Lakewood's founder and took over the church nearly a decade ago, addressing congregants. He is one of the nation's best-known preachers in the prosperity gospel movement, which teaches followers that God materially rewards people who are faithful to him.
Following the incident, Finner commended the officers who responded to the incident, noting that they stepped up and did their job. He added that an investigation will take place into the incident and that both law enforcement officers who were involved will be placed on administrative leave while the probe is ongoing, according to CNN.
The pastor of the church posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in confirmation of the reports of a shooting. At the time of the incident, he said that there was an active situation that involved shots fired at Lakewood.
In a statement, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said that it was unfortunate that the shooting occurred on the day that they wanted to attend church and watch the country's No. 1 sports event. He also reassured the people of the city that they are being protected by their first responders in addressing threatening situations, said the Texas Tribune.
