The shooting this Sunday at the Lakewood Church in Houston (Texas), in which a child was critically injured by a woman's gunshots, shook one of the busiest worship centers in the country.
The attacker, about 30 years old, entered the temple with a rifle and was killed after opening fire, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
Two off-duty law enforcement officers who were in the church when the shooting began, shortly before 2 p.m. (local time), neutralized her with gunshots, according to Finner.
A woman covers her face as she waits with others outside Lakewood Church, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a shooting during a Spanish-language church service.
Associated Press
In addition to the minor, a man in his 50s was also injured in the shooting, the reasons for which are still being investigated.
The Lakewood church often offers large services, and its pastors, Joel and Victoria Osteen, are very popular with the community.
Maria Ortiz, one of the people who were present during the shooting, said that she was on the terrace of the church as part of a choir when she heard gunshots.
She explains that she didn't know what to do, she was paralyzed and took the event as "a sign" that perhaps it was the last day of her life, as she told NBC News.
"I'm ready
," she said she told herself before becoming embroiled in the chaos of the evacuation.
Denise Davis, who testified that she is part of a church medical team that is always present for emergencies, said she heard "multiple gunshots" coming from "different types of weapons."
“A lot of gunpowder, a lot of smoke,” he said, “so we ran.”
Davis claimed he was asked to return to treat at least two people.
Cherami Fisher testified that she had left a bathroom when the shooting broke out and
saw Pastor Joel Osteen in the same hallway
she used to exit the building.
“I had just gone into the bathroom, came out and heard the thump-thump,” said Fisher, who had just moved from Los Angeles.
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Joel Osteen stated that he was “foggy-minded” after the violence and that he kept the injured in his prayers.
"We don't understand why all these things happen," he said at a press conference, "but we know that God is in control."
In a subsequent statement on the social network Facebook, Osteen urged his followers to lean on their faith to cope with the anguish.
"Our community is devastated by the events and grateful for the swift action of law enforcement," he said, "together we will rise above this tragedy and remain steadfast in our commitment to love and support each other."
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For his part, Houston Mayor John Whitmire regretted that the act of violence took place while people were preparing to practice their faith and others were waiting for the start of the Super Bowl.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott said: "Our hearts go out to those affected by today's tragic shooting and to the entire Houston Lakewood Church community. Places of worship are sacred."
Abbott added that he had offered "the full support and resources of the state of Texas" to Whitmire "to serve this community and help bring swift justice to the criminal who committed this heinous act."
The church is regularly attended by 45,000 people each week, making it the third largest in the United States, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
Osteen's televised sermons reach about 100 countries.
Pastors Victoria Osteen and Joel Osteen, of Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas.Getty Images
The church has grown enormously in the past 25 years, since Osteen took the reins after his father's death in 1999, and introduced an optimistic brand of Christian television evangelism that has attracted millions of followers.
Osteen founded the church in a converted feed warehouse in 1959.