Two injured, one dead after shooting at Osteen’s Texas megachurch

Police say a woman between the ages of 30 and 35 walked into Lakewood Church on Sunday afternoon with a rifle just before the start of a worship service in Spanish. According to police, she was accompanied by a 5-year-old boy. Once inside, police say the woman opened fire. Two off-duty police officers returned fire, and the woman was hit. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said she died at the scene.

Was anyone else injured? Finner said the child who accompanied the woman was also hit by gunfire and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The child’s relationship with the woman, if any, has not been released. It’s also unclear who shot the child. Police say a 57-year-old man was also shot in the leg and is being treated for those injuries.

How is the church doing? Pastor Joel Osteen said Sunday that his congregation is devastated and he would pray for the victims, their families, and the shooter.  “There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us—the forces of God—are stronger than that,” Osteen said at a news conference with police. Lakewood Church is about six miles from downtown Houston in an arena formerly used by the NBA. About 45,000 people regularly attend. Osteen is a televangelist known for his bestselling book, Your Best Life Now.