Megachurch shooting eyewitness describes moment gunshots fired

Eyewitnesses described the moment they heard gunshots fired at Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, 11 February.

One child was shot at the Lakewood Church after a female armed with a rifle, believed to be between the ages of 30-to-35, entered the building with the child shortly before 2pm.

Two off-duty officers at the scene fatally shot the female shooter, and it’s unclear if the child was shot by an officer or the woman.

The child is believed to be around 5 and is in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“So I was taking the pictures of the scenery when I heard the first shot. But, you know, I didn’t worry, I didn’t panic, I don’t lose control easily. But then there was the second shot. They start to say to people to move from the auditorium,” said eyewitness Martha Cartenas.

“They were repetitive, Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, ‘Mom’,” Alan Guity said.