World News | Sheriff Says Suspect 'is Down' After Shooting at Celebrity Pastor Joel Osteen's Texas Megachurch

Houston, Feb 12 (AP) A Texas sheriff said on Sunday that a shooter was down after a shooting at the Houston megachurch of celebrity pastor Joel Osteen on Sunday afternoon.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez did not immediately provide more details in his post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

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Lakewood Church had earlier posted on social media there was an "active situation involving shots fired" at one of the largest megachurches in the US during its typically busy Sunday services.

A news conference was scheduled for later on Sunday by police and other law enforcement agencies.

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Worshippers could be seen leaving the building as authorities evacuated the church, and authorities said they were continuing to methodically search the building as a precaution. About 45,000 people attend weekly services at Lakewood.

Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots about the time the church's 2 pm Spanish language service was set to begin.

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.

Officials later announced a reunification centre had been set up at a nearby gym for people to find their loved ones.

About 45,000 people attend weekly services at Lakewood, making it the third largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen's televised sermons reach about 100 countries. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)