Houston, Texas – A shooting took place at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church on Sunday, resulting in the death of the shooter and injuries to several individuals. The incident involved a woman who entered the church wearing a trench coat and carrying a child, at which point she opened fire. Off-duty officers inside the church responded by shooting and killing the woman. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner reported that the woman also claimed to have explosives.
Among the victims was a 5-year-old child, who was escorted by the woman and ended up being struck by a bullet. The child is currently in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital, while a 57-year-old man was also injured, sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. The motive behind the woman’s actions remains unclear, and it is uncertain how she was connected to the child she brought to the church.
The Lakewood Church is a popular non-denominational church located about 6 miles outside of downtown Houston. The former sports arena for the Houston Rockets is known to attract tens of thousands of attendees to its services and typically streams its services online. However, the church was forced to cancel its next broadcast after the shooting incident.
Joel Osteen, the church’s leader, expressed gratitude for the swift actions of law enforcement and reassured the community that “evil will not prevail” in a message posted after the shooting. Meanwhile, a church member described the harrowing experience of hearing gunshots inside the sanctuary and trying to calm people down after the incident.
As the investigation continues, Houston officers have found no traces of explosives after searching the woman’s backpack and vehicle. The responding off-duty officers, a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer and a Houston Police Department officer, have been placed on administrative leave. Despite these developments, the motive behind the woman’s actions remains unknown.