Authorities in Texas rushed to Pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch in Houston on Sunday after receiving reports of a gunman, authorities confirmed.
Around 2 p.m., Houston police responded to a report of a shooting at Lakewood Church, 27000 S. Freeway, and asked local residents in a post on X (officially known as Twitter) to ” He warned people to avoid the area.
“The active scene is Lakewood Church on the South Wales Highway service road. There is heavy traffic near and on the service road. Please avoid the area and take an alternate route,” officials said. said.
Authorities confirmed in a news conference that the gunman, identified as a woman, entered the west side of the church building and then opened fire with a single rifle. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the woman was wearing a backpack over a trench coat and was believed to be carrying a child around 5 years old.
Mr Finner confirmed that the female shooter was killed by police at the scene, but the child was hit during the incident and is currently in a “critical condition” at a local hospital. Officials said an unidentified man, about 37 years old, was also hit in the leg during the event and was also admitted to the hospital.
Lakewood Church confirmed the shooting in a social media post, saying the only information it has “at this time” is of an “active situation involving shots fired” at the church. A video posted on X shows the moment gunshots are heard during a church service broadcast in Spain.
A Spanish interpreter's voice was heard for about five seconds, followed by what sounded like gunshots in the background. As the apparent sound of gunfire echoed, the presenter stopped and looked around, and in the background people could be seen rushing down an escalator.
🚨#breaking news: Watch the moment an active shooter started firing at Lakewood Church
Watch horrifying footage of a mass shooting during a live church service in Spain. The suspect began firing multiple shots, resulting in… pic.twitter.com/bfXGuSi436
— RAWSALETS (@rawsalerts) February 11, 2024
Church officials reportedly confirmed that the church had finished its afternoon service and was about to begin a Spanish-language service before the shooting occurred. according to Click 2 Houston.
According to the X post, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez arrived on the scene shortly after the incident as multiple agencies responded to the initial call. Gonzalez confirmed that the gunman was down and noted that other agencies other than HCOS had opened fire.
Correction: Shooter is down.But that doesn't seem to be the case @HCSOTexas Deputies opened fire. Other agencies were also laid off. We continue to support a systematic and thorough search of the complex.
Media Partner Staging Area: Richmond @ Timmons. #HouNews https://t.co/8eJ3EZTBx0
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) February 11, 2024
Witnesses at the scene told the outlet that they heard multiple gunshots after the incident. Paul Laverne, a church attendee, described the incident: click 2 houston She said she heard “multiple” gunshots while fleeing the scene with her boyfriend.
“First there was one shot, then several sets of shots, then we started running, and then there were multiple sets of shots. I can't really count, but at least five multiple shots. “I hit the ball,” Laverde told the outlet.
The investigation is currently ongoing and a motive has not been confirmed.
This is the latest news and will be updated.
