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A female shooter opened fire on Sunday afternoon at pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, which has one of the nation’s largest congregations. She was fatally shot by off-duty officers. No one else at the church died.
The woman, between the ages of 30 and 35, entered the church at 1:53 p.m. wearing a trench coat and a backpack and carrying a long rifle, Houston police Chief Troy Finner said during a Sunday press conference after the shooting. A young child who police said was approximately 4 to 5 years old accompanied her.
The woman began shooting upon entering the church. Two off-duty officers shot the female shooter, who died on scene, according to authorities. The child was also shot and is in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital, but officers were unclear about how the child was injured. Another 57-year-old man — unassociated with the shooter — was shot in the leg and is being treated.
The shooter threatened that she had a bomb, so officers searched her vehicle and backpack but did not