HOUSTON, Texas – The identity of the shooter at Lakewood Church has been revealed by authorities as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonnee Moreno. The incident took place during the Spanish-language services at the 16,800-seat megachurch led by Joel Osteen, when Moreno entered the building with an AR-style long rifle and began shooting in a hallway.
While investigators have not determined the motive for the shooting, they have confirmed that Moreno identified as female and had a history of using both male and female names. Additionally, Moreno was wearing a trench coat and carrying a backpack at the time of the incident.
After opening fire, Moreno was fatally shot by two off-duty officers who were working security at the church. Two individuals were injured during the shooting, including Moreno’s 7-year-old son who was shot in the head and is currently in critical condition at a local children’s hospital. The other injured individual, a 57-year-old man, was treated and released. It remains unknown whether their injuries were caused by the officers’ gunfire or Moreno’s.
Before her death, Moreno falsely claimed to have a bomb. Upon investigation, no bomb was found, but authorities discovered that Moreno had a history of mental illness dating back to 2016 when she was placed under an emergency detention order by police.
Investigators are currently exploring whether a dispute involving Moreno and her ex-husband’s family may have been a factor in the shooting. Moreno’s ex-mother-in-law had reportedly reached out to pastoral staff at Lakewood Church in 2022 during Moreno’s divorce and custody battle.
While authorities have not labeled the shooting as a hate crime, they did find antisemitic writings by Moreno and noted a “Palestine” sticker on the rifle used in the shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are working to gather more information about the events leading up to the tragic incident at Lakewood Church.