Hinojosa's critique did not address specific gun control measures that could have prevented the assailant, accompanied by a child and armed with a rifle, from initiating the attack. Nor did he acknowledge the crucial role of off-duty law enforcement officers, who were providing armed security at the church and swiftly neutralized the threat.
The woman, wearing a trench coat and escorting the child, walked into Osteen's Lakewood church in between services shortly before 2 p.m. CT and inexplicably began firing a long rifle, said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
"Once she entered, at some point she began to fire," Finner said. He added that officers on scene reported the woman, whose age was estimated at 30-35, said she had an explosive device.
Two officers fired and struck the woman, Finner said, a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer and a Houston Police Department officer. "Unfortunately the 5-year-old was hit. There was a 57-year-old man who didn't have anything to do with it, I don't think, who was shot in the leg," the chief said.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner reported that the armed woman, estimated to be between 30-35 years old, began shooting inside the church, leading to the injury of a five-year-old and a 57-year-old man. The intervention by officers from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Houston Police Department was pivotal in halting the shooter, who also claimed to have an explosive device.
Critics, like Hinojosa, who blame Texas's gun laws for the incident, overlook the occurrence of similar violent acts in states with stringent gun control measures. For example, a shooting at a church in Laguna Hills, California, in 2022 resulted in casualties, challenging the notion that stricter laws necessarily prevent such violence.
The debate intensifies as Democrats push for designating houses of worship as "sensitive places" where carrying firearms is prohibited. This approach has been contested, as seen in New York and California, where legal challenges have paused efforts to establish gun-free zones in religious venues.
Critics argue that proposals from figures like Hinojosa would leave many places of worship vulnerable unless they could afford private security. The incident at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, in December 2019, where volunteer security neutralized a shooter, is cited as an example of the efficacy of armed response in preventing further violence.
The Lakewood Church shooting, rather than highlighting flaws in Texas's gun legislation, underscores the significance of immediate armed intervention in safeguarding lives against threats, emphasizing the role of both off-duty officers and armed civilians in ensuring community safety.
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