Megachurch shooter’s AR-15 rifle had a ‘Palestine’ sticker on it
Parishioners of the Lakewood Church in Houston, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, pray. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
By Beth Harpaz February 12, 2024
A woman who opened fire in a Texas megachurch used an AR-15 rifle with a “Palestine” sticker on it and was involved in a dispute with her ex-husband’s Jewish relatives, police said.
The woman, Genesse Moreno, 36, was shot and killed by off-duty police officers working security at Lakewood Church in Houston. A 7-year-old boy, believed to be Moreno’s son, was shot in the head and is in critical condition, and a 57-year-old man was also hit.
“There was a sticker on the buttstock of the rifle that simply stated ‘Palestine,’” said Chris Hassig, commander of the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division. He said investigators had uncovered “antisemitic writings” by Moreno, and added: “We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband’s family,” some of whom “are Jewish.”
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.
Moreno “had a long gun, and it could have been worse,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference.
Finner said he didn’t know whose bullets had hit the child or the bystander. “That suspect put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her,” Finner said.
Moreno wore a trenchcoat and carried a backpack. After she was shot, she told police she had a bomb. They found no explosives, but she was carrying a yellow cord that looked like a cord used to detonate a bomb.
Hassig confirmed that Moreno had previously been charged with various offenses including marijuana possession, forgery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, evading arrest and assaulting a public official, and had used various aliases, including a man’s name, Jeffrey Escalante.
Before the details about the Palestine sticker and the Jewish relatives came to light, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo posted on the social media platform X that she asked investigators to look into whether the incident was a hate crime because the shooting took place prior to a Spanish-language service.
Osteen said on Facebook that the community was “devastated by today’s events and grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement,” adding: “We don’t always understand why things like this happen, but we know that God is in control. Please join me in continued prayer for healing and peace.”
Forward reporter Jacob Kornbluh contributed to this report.
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