Genesse Moreno mental health & anti-semitic disputes with ex husband in bitter child custody battle over 7 year old son. Gunman who also went by trans name of Jeffery Escalante carried AR-15 with the word, ‘Palestine’ emblazoned on it. Motive remains unknown.
A woman who entered Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Sunday afternoon and fired off gunfire at congregants before being shot dead by two off duty police officers has been revealed to be carrying a high velocity weapon with the word, ‘Palestine,’ emblazoned on it.
Genesse Ivonne Moreno, an El Salvador native also going by the alias name, Jeffery Escalante and self identifying as a transgender male entered the mega church wearing a trench coat and backpack, armed with an AR-15 rifle, while holding the hand of a 7 year old boy before firing off rounds at congregants. The child has since been revealed to be Moreno’s son from a previous relationship.
Antisemitic motive confirmed by Houston police as it relates to yesterday’s shooting at Joel Osteen’s #LakewoodChurch
Shooter Genesse Moreno (Jeffrey Escalante Moreno) had “Free Palestine” written on the AR15 used and appeared to have had arguments with her ex husband’s Jewish… pic.twitter.com/c7iSZ35DYX
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) February 12, 2024
Anti-semitic writings discovered
The gunperson at one point stated being in possession of a bomb. A search of the shooter’s backpack and church surroundings led to no discovery of a bomb.
Prior to shooting at congregants during a pause between morning and afternoon sermons, Moreno allegedly made statements that authorities declined to disclose, NBC News reported. Police also recovered ‘some antisemitic writings’ during a search at the shooter’s residence.
‘We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband’s family,’ police said during a Monday press conference, explaining that some of those family members are Jewish.
The 7-year-old was shot in the head and is ‘fighting for his life’ in critical condition, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Monday.
A man believed to be a parishioner was also shot and has since been released from the hospital, Finner said.
Mental health woes and bitter child custody battle
The shooting is thought to be possibly linked to what family members described as a ‘bitter custody battle’ between Moreno and representatives for her ex-spouse’s family – which was played out on her social media accounts, CNN reported.
In 2022, when she had her divorce proceeding transferred to county court, according to an attorney who represented her, Moreno was also arrested on a weapons charge, a misdemeanor, which was cleared with two days’ time served in the Fort Bend County Jail, CNN reported.
Authorities said they believe Moreno acted alone. She also had with her a second gun: a .22-caliber rifle, discovered in Moreno’s bag. The AR-15 was purchased legally, police said. A federal law enforcement source previously told CNN ‘Free Palestine’ was written on the long rifle.
Police said the suspect has ‘a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family.‘ Police said she was put under an emergency detention order by Houston police in 2016.
Maria Scott, 57, who lived four doors down from Moreno, said she did not know the her well, but according to NBC News, ‘people talked about her because she was wreaking havoc.’
She said a couple of years ago Moreno knocked on her door at 7 a.m. ‘insisting I go get my dogs out of her mother’s yard,’ Scott told NBC News. ‘She was just very stern and very, very angry for someone at 7 a.m.’
Scott said she heard from talk in the neighborhood that Moreno carried a firearm.
Unknown motive
It remained unclear how Moreno was able to legally purchase a firearm as recently as December, particularly due to her history of mental health concerns.
Officials are investigating a wide range of possible motives given the writing on the weapon, but cannot yet conclusively say what led to the shooting. They have not ruled out terrorism or hate crime-related motives.
Lakewood, an evangelical church run by celebrity minister Joel Osteen, is one of the largest churches in the U.S., with up to 45,000 people attending services. The shooting happened as churchgoers were gathering for a Spanish-language service following English-speaking service earlier that morning.
Addressing his followers, Osteen thanked off duty officers who took down Moreno, while noting, ‘It could’ve been a lot worse. We know God’s in control.’
