Shooter at Joel Osteen’s mega-church with ‘Palestine’ on rifle had mental health issues, antisemitic writings: officials

The woman who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s packed Houston-area mega-church on Sunday, identified by authorities as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, previously penned antisemitic writings, had a recorded history of mental health issues and used a weapon with a “Palestine” sticker in the brazen attack, officials said Monday.

Moreno entered Lakewood Church just before a Spanish-language service was due to begin at 2 p.m. with a 7-year-old boy, and opened fire as hundreds of people were taking their pews.

Two off-duty officers working security at the church — Houston cop Christopher Moreno, who is not related to the shooter, and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Agent Adrian Herrera — returned fire and fatally shot Moreno, officials said during a Monday afternoon press briefing.

The young boy, who is currently “fighting for his life” sustained a gunshot wound to the head, Police Chief Troy Finner said Monday. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

When asked whether the child was shot by an officer, Finner declined to speculate, but said on Sunday, “That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her.”

The boy’s relationship to Moreno, who is originally from El Salvador, was not immediately known.

Moreno had a criminal history dating back to 2005, with 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.

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Hassig noted that back in 2016, Moreno was put under an order for emotional detention, which means officers transported her to a medical facility because she was deemed a danger to herself or others.

“We do believe that she does have a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family members,” Hassig said.

Police officials did not elaborate on the 2016 incident.

Moreno was previously arrested under the name Jeffery Escalante, according to local station KHOU , raising questions over whether the shooter was transitioning before or at the time of the attack.

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

A 2022 photo taken when Moreno was booked into jail at Fort Bend County, Texas, listed her sex as female, according to the website Mugshots Zone .

Hassig noted that Moreno had a mental health history that was “documented with police.”

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He also said that she had penned some “antisemitic writings” that were uncovered during their investigation.

Authorities now believe there was a “familial dispute” between Moreno’s ex-husband and his family, some of whom are Jewish, Hassig said.

“So we believe that might be where all of this stems from,” Hassig said. “We are going to be delving into that more. But we do want to stress that she acted alone.”

Officials said she used an AR-15 rifle in the shooting, which was legally purchased in December. A 22-caliber rifle was later discovered in her bag, which she did not fire, police said.

One 57-year-old civilian bystander was also shot in the leg but has since been released from the hospital, authorities said.

Law enforcement sources previously told ABC that Moreno’s gun said “Free Palestine,” however, officials clarified Monday that there was a sticker on the rifle’s butt plate that read “Palestine.”

Chilling video captured the start of a Spanish-language service suddenly being interrupted by a barrage of gunfire . Detectives said Moreno may have fired as many as 12 shots into the church before she was taken down.

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Before Moreno died from her injuries, she poured an unknown substance on the floor and told officers that there was a bomb, but a search of the area by a hazmat team found no evidence of explosives.

Fire Chief Sam Peña said Monday that tests completed at the scene concluded there was no risk of exposure.

“I can safely say there was no risk of exposure to any chemical or product that may have been present to anybody who was at the church,” he said.

Hours after the shooting, FBI agents and other law enforcement searched Moreno’s home in Conroe. Authorities said they have reason to believe there are guns, ammunition and explosive materials inside the home, according to a search warrant obtained by KHOU .

A car was also towed away from the home, the station reported.

Osteen, 60, said during a press conference Sunday that the tragedy could have been much worse had it happened during the earlier or later Sunday services, which draw larger crowds.

“I could only imagine … if it would have happened during the 11 o’clock service,” he said at the scene.

The church, founded by Osteen’s late father, is attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest mega-church in America.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Williams called the church one of the largest congregations, not just in Houston, but in the US.

“It’s way too early to determine a motive for the shooter’s actions, and we’re not in the business of speculating,” Williams said, adding that the FBI will continue to assist HPD in their ongoing investigation into the shooting.

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