Lakewood Shooter Had ‘Antisemitic Writings’ and History of Mental Illness

The woman who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s megachurch Sunday was killed by two off-duty police officers

A gun-toting antisemite opened fire on televangelist Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Houston before two-off duty Texas police officers shot and killed the suspect, authorities said.

Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, entered the crowded Lakewood Church, one of the largest megachurches in the country, on Sunday wielding an AR-15, according to a copy of a search warrant.

Two off-duty officers who were in the crowd working as security guards confronted Moreno and returned fire. The officers’ actions, police said, averted what could have been a bigger tragedy.

Before she was killed, Moreno allegedly said she had a bomb, according to the warrant, but no explosives were later found.

Two other people were shot and wounded, including a 7-year-old boy who had entered the church with Moreno. The child, identified on Monday as the shooter’s son, was taken to the hospital in critical condition. A man was also shot in the leg.

Osteen, who runs the church with his wife Victoria, said the violence could have been worse had the shooting taken place earlier while during the service.

“I can only imagine if it would have happened during the 11 o’clock service,” Osteen said.

Osteen, a bestselling author with an audience that reaches some 100 countries, said the church — which can hold 16,000 people and had in the past served as an arena for the NBA’s Houston Rockets — was preparing for its Spanish-language service when the violence took place.

A police mugshot of Genesse Ivonne Moreno / Photo courtesy of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office

Moments of fear

Witnesses told police that the shooter, who is originally from El Salvador, had walked into the church shortly before 2 p.m. wearing a trench coat and backpack.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said that’s when she started shooting, but the two off-duty cops intervened by returning fire.

“She had a long gun and it could have been worse,” Finner said. “But [the officers] stepped up and did their job.”

In regards to the injuries to the boy, Finner said, “I will say this…That suspect put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her.”

Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family hails from Honduras, said he was resting inside the church building as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, ‘Mom,’” he told The Associated Press.

Osteen said he and his church members are “going to stay strong” through it all.

“There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us — the forces of God — are stronger than that,” he added. “So we’re going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what God’s called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world.”

Possible motive for the shooting

Law enforcement officials said Moreno’s gun had the phrase “Free Palestine” written on it. Authorities said they believe there was a “familial dispute” between Moreno’s ex-husband and his family, some of whom are Jewish.

“So we believe that might be where all of this stems from,” said Christopher Hassig, who heads the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division. “We are going to be delving into that more. But we do want to stress that she acted alone.”

In addition, what police called “antisemitic writings” were found in a search of items belonging to the shooter.

Access to MinistryWatch content is free.  However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts.  To make a donation, click here.

As of Tuesday, it remained unclear whether Osteen himself was a target. The pastor hosted events in Israel and like many evangelicals has expressed solidarity with the Jewish people in the past. In 2022, he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a modern-day David” in a comparison to the biblical figure described in the Book of Samuel.

Moreno had a criminal history dating back to 2005 with a total of six arrests. Her rap sheet included charges of assaulting a public servant, assault causing bodily injury, forgery, possession of marijuana, theft, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In 2016, Moreno was found to have mental illness and placed under an order for emotional detention — meaning police officers had taken her to a medical facility because she was deemed a danger to herself or others, authorities said.

Moreno was previously arrested under the name Jeffery Escalante — raising questions over whether the shooter was transitioning at some point prior to the church shooting.

Addressing the discrepancies in Moreno’s identity, Hassig said: “She used multiple aliases including Jeffery Escalante. … Houston police report she has identified this entire time as female. She/her.”

In a 2022 photo taken when booked into the jail at Fort Bend County in Texas, Moreno listed her sex as female.

This article was originally published by Religion UnPlugged.

Main photo: Inside Lakewood Church when filled to capacity. (Wikipedia Commons photo)