Police respond to ‘active shooter’ at Texas megachurch
Gunfire was heard at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, witnesses said
Several police units were dispatched following reports of a shooting at a large evangelical church in Houston, Texas, on Sunday.
“There is an active situation involving shots fired at Lakewood. Law enforcement is on the scene,” pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church said in a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter). ”Please pray for Lakewood and our community.”
Harris Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on X that the “shooter is down.” He added that the suspect had been shot by law enforcement.
The officer did not immediately say if anyone else was hurt.
Witnesses told local media that the shooting happened just before a Spanish-language service was due to begin at 2 pm. One man was quoted by ABC13 News as saying he'd heard 20 to 30 gunshots while running out of the building.
BREAKING: Police responding to reported shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houstonpic.twitter.com/aKBKaNGkr4
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) February 11, 2024
The church has an average attendance of 45,000 people, according to the media. It was founded in 1959 by pastor John Osteen and is currently run by his son Joel.