12 February 2024 , 10:50
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Celebrity pastor Joel Osteen has said "evil will not prevail" after a woman in a trenchcoat opened fire inside his megachurch leaving a five-year-old boy in a critical condition.
Osteen took to Twitter to reveal his "community is devastated by today's events and grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement" after the shooting left two other people injured at his 16,800 Houston megachurch in Texas on Sunday. A man in his 50s was also wounded
"In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember that evil will not prevail,' Osteen said. "God will guide us through the darkest of times. Together, we will rise above this tragedy and stand firm in our commitment to love and support one another."
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Pastor Joel Osteen said "evil will not prevail" (AP)The woman, who was shot dead by two off-duty cops, entered the enormous church with the boy and opened fire at around 2pm, when Spanish service was set to begin. Details of the confrontation remain unclear in the hours after the tragedy, and police have not released the woman's identity or a possible motive. It's also unknown what relationship, if any, the woman had to the boy, and who actually shot him and the man.
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"I will say this," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters during a news conference outside the church. "That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I'm going to put that blame on her."
A woman opened fire at the church (Daily Mirror)Finner said the woman entered the church with the young boy but did not describe their relationship. The woman began shooting and was confronted by two off-duty officers, a Houston police officer and an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who returned fire. Finner said the woman told officers after being shot there was a bomb but a search found no explosives.
He and other authorities at the scene praised the officers for taking down the shooter. "She had a long gun, and it could have been worse," Finner said. "But they stepped up and did their job."
Police at the scene (AP)The boy was in critical condition at a children's hospital, while the man was stable at a different hospital with a hip wound.
The shooting happened between services at the megachurch that is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, making it the third-largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen said the violence could have been much worse if it had happened during the earlier, larger 11am service.
Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots. Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told Houston television station KTRK that she "started screaming, There's a shooter, there's a shooter,' "and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave.
The incident happened at the megachurch (Daily Mirror)Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, said he was resting inside the church's sanctuary before the Spanish service as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots. "Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled,Mom,' " he said.
The 35-year-old ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor and prayed as the gunfire continued. They remained there for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to evacuate.
Outside, Guity said, he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshipping and singing in Spanish, "Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit."
Despite the chaos, Finner said the tragedy "could have been a lot worse" if the two officers had not "engaged" the woman when she opened fire. They had been working security at the church on Sunday, and Finner praised them for their quick actions.
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Police quickly responded to the huge venue (Daily Mirror)The officers work for the Houston Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, respectively. Both have been placed on protocol-mandated administrative duty.
After she was shot, the woman told police that she had a bomb, but authorities said no explosives were found when her vehicle and backpack were searched. First responders continued to search the megachurch for hours afterwards.
Osteen said Sunday that his congregation is "devastated." He added that he would pray for the victims and for the woman who did the shooting and their families. It was not clear where he was at the time of the shooting.
A boy is in a critical condition following the shooting (Daily Mirror)"We're going to stay strong and we're going to continue to, to move forward," he said during the news conference with police. "There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us -- the forces of God -- are stronger than that. So we're going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what God's called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world."
And on Twitter, Osteen added: "Our community is devastated by today’s events and grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement. May the healing hands of God touch the lives of everyone involved and provide comfort during this difficult time. In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember evil will not prevail. God will guide us through the darkest of times.
"Together, we will rise above this tragedy and stand firm in our commitment to love and support one another. In times like these, our faith is tested, but it is also strengthened. We don’t always understand why things like this happen, but we know that God is in control. Please join me in continued prayer for healing and peace."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement saying "our hearts are with those impacted by today's tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred."
Osteen is something of a controversial figure. The 60-year-old took the helm of Lakewood Church after John Osteen, his father and the church's founding pastor, passed away in 1999. The church has grown dramatically under Joel Osteen and is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen took over after his father's death and introduced an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions.
Osteen is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential." His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his church's arena cost nearly $100 million. His message is decried as heresy by some theologians.
After Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in 2017, Osteen opened his church to those seeking shelter after social media critics slammed the televangelist for not offering to house people in need.
The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959.