Child and man wounded, suspected shooter dead in incident at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston

A child and a man were injured, and a woman was killed after opening fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, police said.

The woman entered the church, accompanied by a boy believed to be about 5 years old, and started shooting, Police Chief Troy Finner said.

Two off-duty law enforcement officers who were at the church when shots were fired about 1:50 p.m. opened fire, and the woman was killed, Finner said.

The child was in critical condition, and a man, who is in his 50s, was being treated for an injury to his leg, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said.

If law enforcement gunfire is responsible for striking the child, Finner said, “I’m going to put that blame on her” for putting the boy in danger.

The shooting happened in between services, as people were arriving for Spanish service, Osteen said.

Police believe the shooting was an isolated incident and there is no further danger to the public.

The woman had a long rifle and a backpack and was wearing a trench coat when she entered the church from a parking lot and started shooting, Finner said.

Her identity has not been publicly released. Finner described her as being in her early 30s. Motive was part of the ongoing investigation.

The woman threatened that she had a bomb and sprayed an unknown substance as first responders arrived, the chief said. It wasn't clear what the substance was was, as fire department personnel arrived to investigate and clear the scene, he said.

Police checked a vehicle and backpack for possible explosives but none have been reported.

The two officers who opened fire were off-duty at the time. One is an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the other is a Houston police officer, Finner said.

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