GRANBURY, Texas — Services at the Lakewood Church in Houston were canceled for Ash Wednesday following last Sunday's shooting at Joel Osteen's megachurch that injured two and left the gunman dead. Yet, Osteen promised congregants Wednesday that services will return this weekend with a special unity service.
Two hundred seventy miles north of Lakewood Church, Jack Wilson looks at life differently this week.
The Hood County commissioner became known to the world in December 2019 when he shot and killed a gunman in his church, West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, who had just killed two members.
"I feel sorrow and sadness," Wilson told WFAA. "Because I feel like there are no more safe havens. My incident was not the first church shooting by any means, and it will not be the last. But it was basically a wake-up call across the United States for churches to have their own security or safe teams."
Wilson has since consulted with more than 150 congregations nationwide regarding security.
Houston police Chief Troy Finner said 36-year-old Genesse Moreno entered the church wearing a trenchcoat and backpack. She was armed with a semi-automatic AR-style rifle and began shooting. She was confronted by two off-duty officers, a Houston police officer and an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who returned fire.
Moreno's son, a 7-year-old, was shot in the head and remains in critical condition. Another victim, a man in his 50s, was wounded in his hip.
The situation is similar to what Wilson encountered in 2019. He no longer attends the church, but at the time, he was a member and part of the congregation's armed security team, which comprised more than a dozen members who trained regularly.
Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, brought a shotgun hidden under a long coat into the sanctuary. He was wearing a beard, a wig, and a hat and drew the attention of Wilson and other team members the minute he showed up.
"My son-in-law actually shook hands with him, but his left hand didn't move," Wilson said, suspicious Kinnunen may have had a weapon.
Kinnunen was homeless and had been helped by the church in the past, and he got angry when he wasn't given cash per a minister at the time. He was described by those who knew him as mentally ill but wasn't recognizable in the disguise he was wearing.
The shooting was caught on the church's livestream and shows Kinnunen getting up from a pew and speaking to Richard White and Tony Wallace in the back of the sanctuary.
Wilson can be seen watching near the men. Kinnunen shoots Wallace, and as White tries to draw his weapon, he's killed, too. Wilson can then be seen aiming toward Kinnunen and taking one shot, which hit Kinnunen right below the eye.
He was killed almost instantaneously, and Wilson was universally hailed a hero by many. The firearms instructor and former Texas Army National Guard member doesn't see it that way today, though.
"I don't see myself as a hero--that was the job that I stepped up for," Wilson said. "God's hand was on mine when I pulled the trigger. In 6 seconds, he killed two good friends, and then he died. So, that's how fast things can go. Just like that, three people are down, including him. That's how fast your life will change in those situations."
Wilson told WFAA he knows that many churchgoers will be thinking about safety come this Sunday. He has a few tips, including not being afraid to return to their places of worship.
"Don't stop going to church, but be vigilant and have a plan," Wilson said.
If a church is starting a security or safe team, Wilson suggests not wearing anything that would clue a potential attacker into knowing that. He also said training is crucial.
"Ten to fifteen minutes for at least a week, just with an empty unloaded gun. Producing it, putting it back in the holster, and then repeating that. If you can go to a range where you're allowed to draw and fire, do a box of 50 rounds one round at a time," Wilson said.
"Our team had 18 members and over 300 hours on a range. We weren't shooting static either; we were doing tactical training. I even demonstrate to some churches that when visitors arrive, it isn't uncommon to give a handshake or a hug to welcome them. A security team can use that to size someone up--a hug can be a pat down in disguise to see if someone has a concealed weapon."
"You have to be vigilant at all times because you don't know when something will happen, and that's a big concern."