The person who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s packed Houston-area mega-church on Sunday has been named as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, according to the Houston Chronicle, as authorities revealed that “Free Palestine” was written on the weapon used in the attack.
Moreno entered Lakewood Church just before a Spanish-language service was due to begin at 2 p.m. with a boy, believed to be about 4 or 5 years old, and opened fire as hundreds of people were taking their pews.
Two off-duty officers working security at the church — a Houston cop and an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission — returned fire and fatally shot Moreno, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Sunday.
The boy was also shot and has been hospitalized in critical condition.
When asked whether the child was shot by an officer, Finner declined to speculate, but said, “That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her.”
His relationship to Moreno was not immediately known.
Moreno had a criminal history dating back to 2005 and was previously arrested under the name Jeffery Escalante, according to local station KHOU, raising questions over whether the shooter was