The motive behind the shooting at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch is still unclear, even after three days. However, there is increasing scrutiny on the shooter's criminal record and documented history of mental illness.
According to authorities, Genesse Moreno caused panic and chaos at Lakewood Church when she entered the premises with her 7-year-old son and opened fire in a hallway, causing worshippers to flee in fear for their lives. Two individuals were injured in the incident, with Moreno's child sustaining a gunshot wound to the head and currently receiving critical medical care at the hospital, as per AP News.
Moreno, 36, tragically lost her life when she was shot and killed by two off-duty officers who were working security at the Houston church. Loud sounds echoed through the expansive church, which was once the venue for the NBA's Houston Rockets, causing panic among worshippers shortly before 2 p.m.
The shooter was seen entering the church dressed in a trenchcoat and carrying a backpack, while also being in possession of a long rifle. A woman brandished a firearm at a security guard who was not carrying any weapons and proceeded to open fire once she gained access.
Unfortunately, Moreno was unable to reach the main sanctuary and tragically lost her life in a shootout with two off-duty officers - a Houston police officer and an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. According to the police, Moreno's son was hit in the head, while another individual in his 50s sustained a gunshot wound to his hip.
According to the police, Moreno claimed to have a bomb, but upon investigation, no explosives or hazardous material were discovered at the location. Moreno was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle, which she did not discharge during the incident.
Little information has been revealed regarding Moreno's possible motives, and authorities have not provided any specifics regarding the source or acquisition of the rifle used in the incident. Authorities conducted a search of her residence in Conroe, a city located over 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the church.
According to Houston Police Commander Chris Hassig, investigators discovered writings by Moreno that were deemed antisemitic. It is worth mentioning that Moreno's former in-laws have a Jewish background. The firearm used in the shooting incident was found to have a sticker on the buttstock.
Hassig said Moreno is not affiliated with any larger organization. According to the source, it was revealed that she occasionally used different names, both male and female. However, after conducting interviews and reviewing previous police reports, investigators concluded that she identified as female.
Moreno also had a well-documented history of mental illness and a number of misdemeanor convictions. Authorities have stated that investigators are currently looking into a disagreement between Moreno and her former spouse's family, among other matters.
In court filings from Moreno's 2022 divorce, Walli Carranza, Moreno's former mother-in-law, expressed her attempts to notify authorities about the potential danger posed by her ex-daughter-in-law. However, it appears that authorities did not take any action in response.
In the filed documents, Carranza claimed that Moreno had a troubling track record of using firearms in a reckless manner. This included instances such as storing an unlocked gun in her son's diaper bag and making threats to shoot her ex-husband while their child was peacefully sleeping in the back seat of their vehicle.
Moreno has a criminal record that involves various charges, such as forging a $100 bill. In 2009, he was convicted of assault for kicking a detention officer, which led to a 180-day county jail sentence. Additionally, in 2022, he faced a misdemeanor charge for unlawfully carrying a weapon.
According to her social media profiles, Moreno, who recently resided in Conroe, Texas, about 40 miles north of Houston, stated that she is the founder of a real estate and financial services firm. In March 2020, a post on social media surfaced, displaying a screenshot of a form letter sent by Lakewood Church to express gratitude to Moreno for her generous donation.
During a press conference on Monday, the Houston police chief was questioned about any potential connection between the shooter and the church. In response, Hassig stated that the matter was currently being investigated.
According to records from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Moreno, who was born in El Salvador, has a history of multiple arrests for minor offenses spanning the last twenty years. These include charges such as possession of marijuana, assault, illegal possession of a weapon, and forgery.
A court transcript of a 2021 divorce proceeding in Harris County states that Moreno's ex-husband revealed that they first met in 2015. He stated that he was seeking a divorce due to his wife's violent behavior and her apparent lack of concern for their 3-year-old son.
The divorce proceedings were transferred to county court and ultimately concluded in Montgomery County in 2022. According to the affiliate, custody of Sam was awarded to Moreno's ex-husband after the divorce was finalized. The reasons behind the court's decision remain uncertain.
In the court documents pertaining to Walli Carranza's request to be appointed as Sam's conservator, Carranza made serious allegations against Moreno. According to Carranza, Moreno's son was born prematurely, with drugs detected in her system.
Carranza further accused Moreno of neglecting the child's needs, including improper feeding, lack of toilet training, and failure to attend crucial speech and physical therapy sessions. In her social media posts, Moreno shared about her son's fondness for visiting the park. She also mentioned taking him to art museums when he was just a baby, which helped cultivate his early appreciation for art.
During a news conference on Monday, some of Moreno's neighbors made allegations that she had engaged in harassment and threats towards them. They claimed to have taken the matter to local authorities and officials approximately five months prior to the shooting incident.
According to CNN, a woman reported making a complaint in July 2022 after allegedly being threatened with a handgun by Moreno.
Joel Osteen's Statement After the Lakewood Church Shooting
The shooting occurred during the interlude of services at the megachurch, which boasts a weekly attendance of 45,000 people. This makes it the third-largest megachurch in the United States, as reported by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen's sermons are broadcast to approximately 100 countries.
It remained uncertain about Osteen's whereabouts at the time of the incident, but he later appeared alongside the police at a news conference, expressing the church's profound devastation. According to him, the shooting could have had more devastating consequences if it had occurred during the larger 11 a.m. service.
Joel Osteen expressed his condolences to the victims and extended his prayers to the woman responsible for the shooting and their families, Daily Mail reported.
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