Shooting reported at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston
By EEW Magazine Online // News // Church Shooting
Photo: Getty Images via EEW Magazine
[Breaking news update, published at 5:53 p.m. ET]
The shooter at the Lakewood Church was a woman between 30 and 35 years of age who was armed with a long rifle and accompanied by a child, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters at a Sunday news conference. “She is deceased here on the scene,” Finner said.
—Original story below—
EEW Magazine Online has confirmed reports that law enforcement is currently at the scene of a reported shooting at Lakewood Church, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, according to city officials in Houston.
At approximately 2:24 p.m. today, Houston Police were dispatched to 3700 Southwest Freeway, which is the location of Lakewood Church, following reports of gunfire, the police department announced via X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
A representative for the Fire Department, Martee Black, has also verified the department's presence at the scene, responding to the incident at the church.
Visuals captured at the scene display a multitude of police and emergency response vehicles assembled outside the church.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has confirmed that the shooter has been neutralized. He corrected a prior message on X that mistakenly stated the shooter had been incapacitated by a deputy at the scene. A subsequent correction indicated that the shot was fired by a member of a different law enforcement agency.
NBC News sought details about the number of victims from Black, who stated, “I don’t know,” and directed inquiries to the Houston Police Department for further details.
Authorities have described the situation as both active and ongoing, urging the public to steer clear of the vicinity.
Lakewood Church has issued a statement on X regarding the situation: "There is an active situation involving shots fired at Lakewood. Law enforcement is on the scene," the church communicated. "That is all the information we have at this time. Please pray for Lakewood and our community."
Sheriff Gonzalez has noted on X that details are still emerging and the circumstances are fluid.
Maria, a Colombian national who witnessed the event, recounted hearing the initial gunshot roughly eight minutes prior to the start of a church service.
"After the second shot, everybody started running. I ran with my kids ... my family," she described during an interview with KPRC, the local NBC News affiliate.
She then heard a succession of eight shots. Maria and her family remained prone on the ground until they were advised it was safe to exit the church.
In the midst of the chaos, she reached out to her husband and father, fearing for the worst, to express her love, "I love you," she recounted. The thought of being caught in such a harrowing ordeal had never crossed her mind, she expressed.
