The Houston Police Department revealed that the Lakewood Church attacker was Genesse Ivonne Moreno.
Moreno entered Houston’s Lakewood Church with a 5-year-old boy, claiming to have explosives. She was wearing a trench coat and carrying a backpack.
Morena was also identified as a pro-Palestinian activist. The words “Free Palestine” were written on the rifle, according to ABC.
Two off-duty officers opened fire, shooting the female, who later threatened to have explosives and died from her gunshot wounds.
The five-year-old child and a 57-year-old man were also shot, with the child in critical condition.
The police chief emphasized that the incident was believed to be isolated.
BREAKING: Footage of another active shooting that took place a while ago at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. This was recorded at the time the shots were being fired.#Houston #houstontx #Breaking pic.twitter.com/47vpCsGsH0
— Target Reporter (@Target_Reporter) February 11, 2024
The motive is still under investigation. Morena, who had a criminal record, fired multiple shots and was later killed by law enforcement.
“I don’t want to talk about her motivations because I don’t know. Right?” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said.
The incident took place during an all-Spanish service, prompting inquiries into whether it was a hate crime. The Houston mega-church is run by Pastor Joel Osteen.
Houston police addressed the discrepancies over the Lakewood Church shooter's identity. Here's what we know about Genesse Ivonne Moreno and what police are saying about her: https://t.co/sprBiaJRBf #khou11 pic.twitter.com/FkYDol7FhJ
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) February 13, 2024
Officials and church leaders expressed support for the congregation and those affected.
“We don’t understand why these things happen, but we know that God is in control,” Osteen said.
“Believe that we’re going to stay strong and we’re going to continue to move forward.”
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