Authorities in Texas are investigating a shooting incident at a church in Houston, and have not yet determined the motive of the woman who opened fire, though the Gaza war and antisemitism could be factors.
The shooter, 36-year-old Genesse Moreno, entered the church with her 7-year-old son, and was killed by security guards at the end of a shootout that lasted several minutes. Her son was hit in the head in the exchange of fire and was seriously injured.
More stories:
Authorities said that Moreno suffered from mental health problems, and was at odds with her divorced husband's Jewish family. She used several pseudonyms, and reportedly sometimes identified as a man. The investigators are looking into the possibility that the war in Gaza served as a motive for the shooting, because a sticker with the inscription "Palestine" appeared on the rifle used by Moreno, and later "antisemitic writings" were discovered that belonged to the shooter.
3 View gallery
Genesse Moreno, 36, shot up a church in Houston, Texas
(Photo: Courtesy ABC affiliate KTRK via REUTERS)
“We do have some antisemitic writings that we have uncovered in this process,” Christopher Hassig, commander of the Houston Police Department homicide division, told reporters in an update on the investigation into the shooting. He did not say where the writings were found.
Hessig added: "We believe there was a family conflict between her divorcee and his family, some of whom are Jewish, so there is a possibility that it stems from that."
Moreno entered the church with her son shortly before 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, while worshipers arrived for the ceremony in Spanish. She was carrying a bag and wearing a raincoat, and was armed with two assault rifles and a pistol. Moreno opened fire in the hallway with one of her guns, and two security guards returned fire at her. After she was shot, she announced that she had a bomb, but law enforcement found no explosives after searching her backpack and vehicle.
3 View gallery
The Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is run by American televangelist Joel Osteen
(Photo: Reuters / Callaghan O’Hare)
3 View gallery
Worshippers at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, comfort each other after Sunday's shooting attack
(Photo: Reuters/ Callaghan O’Hare)
Authorities say it is not clear whether Moreno's son was hit by the fire of the security guards, or was shot by his mother in the exchange of fire. In addition to the boy, a 57-year-old man was wounded in the leg.
Police in Texas said Moreno had an extensive criminal record, which also included weapons offenses. According to her relatives, in 2016 she was arrested because of her mental condition. Despite her past, she managed to purchase the weapon used in the church shooting in December, and investigators are investigating how this was possible.
Moreno was not a member of Lakewood Church, a "mega-church" that can accommodate 16,000 worshipers and is considered one of the largest in the U.S. The church belongs to Joel Osteen - a popular American televangelist.