A woman’s motive for opening fire in celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch remained unclear Monday, a day after the shooting sent worshippers rushing for safety in between busy services.
Police say two off-duty officers working security at Osteen’s church , one of the largest megachurches in the US, shot and killed the suspect. Two other people were also shot and injured, including a 5-year-old boy who entered the church with the shooter and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service.
Once the woman went down, officers said she threatened that she had a bomb but no explosives were found on site. However, the woman was spotted spraying a chemical, which was examined by Houston Fire Department officials. A hazmat team was also brought onto the scene.
Here’s what to know about the shooting:
How did the shooting unfold?
The sound of gunshots inside the massive church, which was formerly the home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, startled worshippers just before 2 pm Sunday, around the time many people were getting ready to later watch the Super Bowl.