Immigrant opens fire inside Texas megachurch

KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP

On Sunday afternoon, a shooting unfolded at a renowned megachurch in Texas when Genesee Ivonne Moreno, a 36-year-old woman armed with a long firearm and accompanied by her 7-year-old son, initiated gunfire.

The confrontation ended when law enforcement officers at the scene fatally shot Moreno. The shooting resulted in critical injuries to her son and wounded another individual, as confirmed by authorities, per CNN.

Moreno, who used the name "Jeffrey," was originally a migrant from El Salvador and had an extensive criminal history. 

🚨 BREAKING: Lakewood Church shooter identified as a transgender, legal name Genesse Moreno but went by the name “Jeffrey.” 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0gmgybgOLC

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) February 12, 2024

The investigation is currently focused on Lakewood Church, led by televangelist Joel Osteen and situated approximately 6 miles from downtown Houston.Fox News reported:

The preliminary reporting also indicated that the message "Free Palestine" was written on the rifle; investigators said later it was just "Palestine."Moreno, 36, had a criminal history including convictions for assaulting a police officer in 2009 and forgery in 2010. Members of the FBI, the Texas Rangers, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Conroe and Houston Police Departments were investigating a property Monday in Conroe, north of Houston, that was believed to be Moreno's residence, KPRC reported.

In a press conference held on Sunday afternoon, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner detailed that Moreno, dressed in a trench coat and carrying a backpack, entered the church shortly before 2 p.m. and began firing.

According to a search warrant issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office on Monday, officers "shot and killed her in self-defense" when she aimed her firearm at them.

The police chief reported that her son sustained a gunshot wound to the head amidst the gunfire and, as of Monday, is still hospitalized in critical condition.

A man who was injured and shot in the leg, received medical attention at a hospital and has since been discharged, according to Finner's statement on Monday. He has been identified in the search warrant as Tom George Thomas."We don't understand why all these things happened, but we know God's in control," Osteen said following the shooting.

Editors note (March 22, 2024): An earlier version of this article referred to the shooter as transgender. News reports said the shooter was transgender, but police later advised that she simply had a male name.