Man, 33, threatened to release sarin gas during Joel Osteen’s Christmas Eve service, cops say

The hoax threat was made while over 5,000 people had been partaking in a Christmas Eve candlelight service, said reports

In court, the suspect Aaron Suppes, 33, (pictured standing far left) appeared to argue with an officer while facing charges for the felony offense of terroristic threat (KHOU 11)

A 33-year-old man is facing charges with police saying he threatened to release Sarin gas during celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Christmas Eve megachurch service.

Houston Police Department officers responded to the alert at the pastors’ Lakewood Houston megachurch, off the Southwest Freeway at around 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve after the suspect Aaron Suppes, called in the threat, said police.

Suppes appeared in probable cause court on Christmas Day to face charges for the felony offense of terroristic threat.

The 33-year-old suspect reportedly intended to blow up the church with a device that was attached to the gas – an extremely toxic chemical warfare nerve agent – during the holiday candlelight service, as per the outlet.

At the time the threat was received, there were reportedly over 5,000 people inside the venue, said prosecutors.

"Defendant called the FBI tipline and said he would go to release sarin gas at Lakewood Church. [The] defendant was located at Lakewood Church and had left his bags at the door," said the judge in the court hearing.

The popular megachurch (pictured) is known for being a high-profile evangelical church which attracts thousands to its services on a weekly basis (Google Maps)

Bomb squad officials and a Houston Fire Department hazmat team rifled through the bags for any explosive devices but no threats were reportedly identified.

Earlier that day, Suppes reportedly placed a strange call to dispatch which raised suspicions.

"[He] called dispatch, called 911 stating that he and his sister were being microwaved from overseas, whatever that means, so obviously having some mental issues," said Houston Police Department’s Lt. R. Wilkens to KHOU11 reporters.

Suppes was also revealed to have been unemployed and homeless for at least six months at the time of arrest, according to court documents seen by WLTX.

Surveillance footage along with information gathered in the investigation allowed police to hunt down Suppes, who was reportedly still in the vicinity of the megachurch.

He was arrested without incident and taken to jail and his bond amount was set at $15,000, according to local news station WLTX.

In 2021, Pastor Joel Osteen was falsely accused by social media users of refusing to allow those who needed shelter from Texas’ freezing temperatures to reside inside his Lakewood Church – allegations which were later debunked.

The Independent contacted the Houston Police Department for further information.