Deadly shooting at Joel Osteen's megachurch leaves woman dead and two injured
The shooting took place on Sunday afternoon at the church led by Pastor Joel Osteen, approximately 10 kilometers from downtown Houston. This church, Lakewood Church, is recognized as the largest religious building in the United States and is frequently characterized as a megachurch. The assailant, identified as a woman aged between 30 and 35, was shot and killed by the police.
According to Troy Finner, the Houston police chief, the woman entered the church shortly before 2 pm Greenwich Time, dressed in a trench coat, carrying a backpack, and armed with a long pistol. She had a 5-year-old boy in her company.
Regrettably, the boy was hit during the shooting and is now in a critical condition in hospital. The police did not provide any details on the child's relationship with the woman or possible motives for the shooting. Another male member who was inside the church at the time was also injured.
Two off-duty officers, a 28-year-old Houston police officer and a 38-year-old member of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, likely prevented more casualties. Both of them, with less than five years of service, were present at the mass and managed to kill the woman before she could shoot any further.
