Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church was invaded by a woman wearing a trench coat, carrying a long gun, and a small child. According to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, the woman opened fire on Sunday afternoon.

The woman was struck by two off-duty security officials, a Houston police officer and a Texas Alcoholic Control Commission agent, and she passed away at the site, according to Finner. The chief estimated the woman’s age at between thirty and thirty-five.

Sadly, a 5-year-old child was struck and is currently in critical condition at our nearby hospital,” he continued. According to the chief, the event happened soon before 2:00 p.m. The chief stated that it was unknown who fired the gun that hit the toddler or how close the child was to the shooter.

According to Finner, a 57-year-old guy who was shot in the leg is receiving medical attention at a hospital. Authorities do not suspect that he was involved in the event.

I would like to thank those cops. According to Finner, it might have been much worse because she was carrying a long gun. However, they took charge and completed their task, and I want to praise them for that. The shooting will be investigated, and both law enforcement personnel will be placed on administrative leave during that time.

Authorities checked the woman’s car and the backpack she carried after she had threatened that she “had a bomb,” but they turned up nothing explosive, according to Finner. The chief stated, she was sprinkling something on the ground.

The megachurch Lakewood Church, which is located roughly six miles from Houston’s downtown, acknowledged earlier reports of “shots fired” and stated on X that there was an ongoing crisis involving gunfire at Lakewood. There is law enforcement present. That’s all the information we currently have. Pray for Lakewood and our neighborhood, please.

The pastor, Osteen, stated during the press conference that the shooting occurred “in between services,” adding that the incident’s timing probably helped limit additional casualties and damage.

He remarked, I have no idea if it had occurred during the 11 o’clock service.
Therefore, if there is any positive aspect to it, Osteen stated of the shooter, “it’s that she was unable to get in there and do an entire lot worse harm.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott remarked, “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by today’s tragic murder and the whole Lakewood Church neighborhood in Houston” in a statement on Sunday afternoon. Worship locations are holy.

In an effort to “help this community and help bring swift justice to the criminal who committed this heinous act,” the governor continued, he has been in contact with state and local authorities.

Lakewood Church History

A Lakewood member who was there at the site told news affiliate KPRC that he heard many gunshots while inside the church impatiently awaiting the Spanish language service to begin. The man informed KPRC that after that, a church usher urged him to leave. The church website stated that the service was scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. ET.

For further information, the news outlets have contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department.

The 1950s saw the founding of Lakewood Church by Osteen’s father, which is currently housed in a former sports arena.

According to a White House official, the administration is keeping tabs on the shooting and seeking out additional details.

Since Joel Osteen assumed leadership of the church following his father’s death in 1999 and established a positive kind of Christian televangelism that has amassed a million followers, the church has grown at an exponential rate. His sermons on television are seen in over 100 nations. In 1959, the church was established by the elder Osteen in a former feed store.

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