A child was shot at Joel Osteen’s megachurch

One child has been shot after a shooting at megachurch pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.

The child is believed to be around 5 and is in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital. A 57-year-old man was transported to another area hospital after he was shot in the leg.

Officials said they fatally shot the female shooter, believed to be between the ages of 30-to-35, during a news conference outside the church.

Police said the woman showed up to the church with the child just before 2pm and entered the property on the west side. She entered a building armed with a long rifle, a trench coat and backpack and began to fire. Two off-duty officers engaged and struck the female at the scene.

At some point, the child also sustained a gunfire shot but it’s unclear if he was shot by an officer or the woman.

A 57-year-old man was also transported to another area hospital after he was shot in the leg.

Once the woman went down, officers said she threatened that she had a bomb but no explosives were found.

The shooting occurred as the church was transitioning into its Spanish-language service. According to local reports, witnesses believed that the shots came from the back of a performance stage as a worship band was playing.

Lakewood Church is one of the largest Christian churches in the US with a capacity to seat about 16,000 people. Mr Osteen, its lead pastor, is one of the US’ most notable religious leaders.

Mr Osteen spoke at a news conference following the incident. He said, “It could’ve been a lot worse. We know God’s in control,” adding that he would be praying for the woman and the child.

This is a developing story…

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