Police say the shooter at Houston megachurch has a significant criminal past, including weapons offenses.
A lady came inside a prominent Texas megachurch Sunday afternoon with a long gun and her 7-year-old kid, opening fire before being slain by law enforcement authorities on the scene. According to the police, the shooting injured another guy and left the youngster in serious condition.
Authorities are now investigating the incident at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, which is around 6 miles from downtown Houston.
Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, a woman listed in a search warrant, entered the church soon before 2 p.m. wearing a trench coat and rucksack and began a fire, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
According to the search warrant issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office on Monday, officers “shot and killed her in self-defense” after she pointed her firearm at them.
Her son was wounded in the head during the incident and is still in serious condition at the hospital on Monday, according to the police chief. It is not apparent who fired the gun that harmed the toddler. CNN has reached out to the police for further information.
The police have not revealed any details regarding the shooting’s probable motivation. The injured individual was shot in the leg, treated at a hospital, and then released, Finner said Monday. The search warrant identified him as Tom George Thomas.
The shooting occurred when the church was “in between services” and ready to begin a Spanish session, according to Osteen during a press conference on Sunday.
“I can only imagine if it would have happened during the 11 o’clock service,” he went on to say.
The shooting is only the latest example of gun violence disturbing American life in previously considered secure areas. This one happened in a house of worship. Others have visited schools, supermarkets, outlet malls, hospitals, college campuses, and home parties.
Two off-duty law enforcement officers engaged the shooter.
Moreno entered the church with her son. “Once she entered, at some point she began to fire,” the chief stated. One federal law enforcement source told CNN that she fired around 30 shots.
Two off-duty cops were present: a 28-year-old Houston Police Department officer and a 38-year-old Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent, both with fewer than five years of experience. According to the police chief, the two cops confronted the gunman and struck her. She was declared deceased at 2:07 p.m. local time.
The shooter used a legally acquired AR-15 with a “Palestine” sticker, according to authorities. A federal law enforcement source earlier informed CNN that “Free Palestine” was scrawled on the rifle. She also carried a.22 caliber firearm in her luggage, which was not utilized in the attack, according to a federal law enforcement source. According to the source, investigators are looking into whether she was politically motivated or a troubled individual.
“I’d want to praise the cops. “She had a long gun, and things could have been much worse,” Finner added. “But they stepped up and they did their job, and I want to thank them for that.”
Both officers who interacted with the gunman will be placed on administrative duty awaiting the inquiry, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, Finner said.
“It’s traumatic not only for our community, but it’s certainly traumatic for the officers who had to take a life, and we worry about their mental health as well, so our prayers are with them,” Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said in Sunday’s press conference.
The shooter has a history of criminal offenses and mental health issues.
Moreno’s social media profiles and local authorities present a picture of a single mother with a history of mental health issues navigating the ups and downs of attempting to rebuild her life and start a company.
During a Monday press conference, Houston Homicide Commander Christopher Hassig stated that the gunman utilized many identities, including both male and female names. Moreno received an order for emotional detention in 2016, and Houston police have recorded her mental health history, according to Hassig.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety records, Moreno has been arrested for a variety of minor charges over the previous two decades, including marijuana possession, assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest, and forgery. However, in her thirties, she identified herself on social media as the proprietor of a real estate and financial services organization. She sells anything from new condominiums to retail centers through her own social media accounts.
In March 2020, a social media user shared a copy of a generic letter from Lakewood Church thanking Moreno for her gift.
A CNN review showed the story of a bitter custody battle between Moreno and representatives for her ex-spouse’s family played out on her social media accounts. In 2022, when she had her divorce proceeding transferred to county court, according to an attorney who represented her, Moreno was also arrested on a weapons charge, a misdemeanor, which was cleared with two days’ time served in the Fort Bend County Jail.
According to the police, there was some sort of family dispute between the shooter and her ex-husband’s family, some of whom are Jewish.
“This might possibly be where all this stems from,” Hassig added. He said police also found antisemitic writings connected with the shooter.
Attorney William Capasso said he represented Moreno in 2021-2022 and told CNN that Genesse Ivone Moreno went by the name Jeffrey Moreno Carranza at the time.
Capasso said he later withdrew as her attorney, and she represented herself in divorce proceedings.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that Ms. Moreno may be responsible for the tragic events that occurred at the Lakewood Church, and I pray for the recovery of the child and for all of the people that were affected by this terrible tragedy,” Capasso said in a statement.
Police think Moreno operated as a “lone wolf” and was not part of a wider organization.
The woman also threatened a bomb.
Moreno threatened to have a bomb, but officials inspected her vehicle and backpack and discovered no explosives, according to the Houston police chief.
Finner claimed she was also spraying “some type of substance on the ground,” but he didn’t go into more detail. According to Peña, fire authorities are on the site and will take their time to thoroughly investigate any potential issues or risks.
“Right now, I can safely say that we have not found anything that is of concern to our community or to this location, but we’re going to take our time to ensure that we look at every aspect,” the fire marshal said.
The search warrant for Moreno’s house said that she possessed yellow rope similar to a detonation cord and “substances consistent with the manufacture of explosive devices.”
CNN has reached out to the Houston Fire Department for more information.
Authorities searched Moreno’s house in Conroe, Texas, on Sunday night in connection with the shooting, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced Monday. According to spokeswoman Melissa Garcia, the ATF-Houston Division was among the law enforcement organizations participating in the search. The residence is approximately 50 minutes north of Lakewood Church.
The warrant includes a search for any ammunition, guns, explosives, mobile phones, and computers in the house, among other things.
“Join Cecilia and me in praying for his community during this difficult time and for the brave men and women in blue who acted quickly to respond to this tragedy,” Abbott said in a statement.
Witness recalls the ‘erratic’ noise of gunfire and yelling.
Osteen, who previously worked in television production, took over his father’s church in 1999 and quickly gained a large following. According to his website, his services bring 45,000 attendees to the church each week, in addition to those throughout the country who watch his sermons online and on television.
“We’re devastated,” Osteen explained. “We’ve been here 65 years and to have somebody shoot at your church…”
A lady who was inside the church at the time of the shooting told CNN affiliate KHOU that Osteen was meeting people after the service, and she was one of the last to meet him.
Soon after, she informed the television station that she heard repeated bangs, much like “mechanical sounds.”
“It almost sounded like folding tables were being dismantled and dropped to the floor,” she went on to say. “But they were erratic.”
The lady then said she heard another round of gunfire and observed people screaming and fleeing. She dashed inside a room and crammed inside among several other individuals, including a youngster. The group placed two enormous wooden slats on the door to prevent it from opening, and then proceeded to pray.
“We were thankful,” she remarked. “We may have been casualties. We may have gotten shot.”
This story has been updated with more information.
