Houston, Texas – A woman armed with a long rifle launched an attack at Lakewood Church, the renowned place of worship led by pastor Joel Osteen. The incident took place during a lull between services, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. The woman, believed to be between 30 and 35 years old, arrived at the church with a child around 1:53 p.m. She began shooting after entering the building. An off-duty agent from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and an off-duty Houston police officer confronted the woman, resulting in her being shot and killed.
Tragically, the child who was with the woman suffered injuries during the incident and is currently in critical condition at a local hospital. Additionally, a 57-year-old man who was not involved in the incident sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and is receiving medical treatment.
After making a bomb threat and spraying an unidentified substance on the ground, the woman was confronted by law enforcement. Chief Finner stated that a thorough search of her backpack and vehicle was conducted, but no explosives were found. Fortunately, the situation did not escalate further, sparing potential harm.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported hearing at least 14 gunshots.
In response to the incident, authorities established a reunification spot at the LIFE TIME fitness center in the Greenway Plaza area, where those who were separated from their loved ones could locate each other.
The investigation into this tragic event is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the motive behind the attack. Lakewood Church has not yet released a statement regarding the incident.