HOUSTON (AP) — A lady in a trenchoat entered the Houston megachurch of superstar pastor Joel Osteen and began taking pictures Sunday afternoon and was killed by two off-duty officers working safety, police mentioned. They added a younger youngster with the girl was critically harm and one other man close by was wounded.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner mentioned the girl entered the church with a protracted gun and a backpack shortly earlier than 2 p.m. on Sunday, accompanied by a baby about 4 or 5 years previous. He mentioned the kid was in crucial situation after being taken to a hospital.
The taking pictures occurred between companies on the megachurch that’s frequently attended by 45,000 individuals each week, making it the third largest megachurch within the U.S., in accordance with the Hartford Institute for Faith Analysis. Osteen’s televised sermons attain about 100 international locations.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mentioned “our hearts are with these impacted by as we speak’s tragic taking pictures and your entire Lakewood Church neighborhood in Houston. Locations of worship are sacred.”
“She had a protracted gun, and it might have been lots worse,” Finner mentioned on the information convention.
Osteen mentioned the taking pictures might have been a lot worse if it had occurred through the bigger 11 a.m. service.
“We’re devastated,” he mentioned, including he would pray for the victims and their households.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows under.
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas sheriff mentioned Sunday {that a} shooter was down after a taking pictures on the Houston megachurch of superstar pastor Joel Osteen on Sunday afternoon.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez didn’t instantly present extra particulars in his publish on X, the platform previously generally known as Twitter. Lakewood Church had earlier posted on social media there was an “energetic state of affairs involving photographs fired” at one of many largest megachurches in the usduring its usually busy Sunday companies.
A information convention was scheduled for later by police and different legislation enforcement businesses. A heavy presence of police surrounded the Houston megachurch.
Worshippers might be seen leaving the constructing as authorities evacuated the church, and authorities mentioned they had been persevering with to methodically search the constructing as a precaution. About 45,000 individuals attend weekly companies at Lakewood, making it the third largest megachurch within the U.S., in accordance with the Hartford Institute for Faith Analysis. Osteen’s televised sermons attain about 100 international locations.
Earlier, Lakewood Church posted on X, previously generally known as Twitter, shortly afterrward that there was an “energetic state of affairs involving photographs fired” on the church.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mentioned “our hearts are with these impacted by as we speak’s tragic taking pictures and your entire Lakewood Church neighborhood in Houston. Locations of worship are sacred.”
Witnesses advised reporters that they heard a number of gunshots concerning the time the church’s 2 p.m. Spanish language service was set to start.
Christina Rodriguez, who was contained in the church, advised Houston tv station KTRK that she “began screaming, ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’” after which she and others ran to the bottom of a library contained in the constructing, then stood in a stairway earlier than they had been advised it was protected to go away.
Folks stood exterior the constructing as authorities evacuated the church. Officers later introduced a reunification middle had been arrange at a close-by gymnasium for individuals to search out their family members.
