Who is Genesse Ivonne Moreno? All we know about the Joel Osteen Lakewood Church shooter

Genesse Ivonne Moreno, a 36-year-old woman from El Salvador, was identified as the suspect who was killed after she opened fire at pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood church in Texas on Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Moreno is accused of storming the church packed with worshippers on Sunday afternoon and opening fire with a long rifle before she was killed by two off-duty officers at the scene.

A 7-year-old child who accompanied Moreno to the church was critically injured at the scene and has been identified as her son, Fox News reported. A 57-year-old man was also injured during the incident and was treated at the hospital.

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Genesse Ivonne Moreno had a lengthy criminal history that dated back to 2005

During a press conference on Monday, the Houston Police Department (HPD) provided more details about the suspect responsible for the shooting at Lakewood Church. Authorities revealed Genesse Ivonne Moreno had a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2005.

Social media users, including conservative commentator Collin Rugg, alleged on X, Genesse Ivonne Moreno was transgender since she also used an alias, Jeffrey Escalante. However, during the conference, HPD said while the suspect used both male and female names their investigation revealed she identified as a female.

As per Newsweek, Christopher Hassig, commander of the Houston Police Department Homicide Division said in the press conference:

"She utilized both male and female names, but through all of our investigation through this point, talking with individuals, interviews, documents, and Houston Police Department reports, she has been identified this entire time as female. She, her."

NBC News, citing Law enforcement records, said the suspect was arrested at least six times since 2005 for several crimes, including forgery, assault on a police officer, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. While police tried to determine the motive for the shooting, Hassig said the suspect had a documented mental health history and was placed under an emergency detention order by HPD in 2016.

Hassig also confirmed that they uncovered "some antisemitic writings" inside Moreno’s vehicle but said it potentially stemmed from her contentious relationship with her ex-husband and his family, few of whom identified as Jewish.

Hassig also said the rifle used in the shooting had a Palestine sticker on it and authorities are currently exploring its significance. Hassig identified the weapon used in the shooting as AR-15. Authorities said a .22 caliber rifle was also found in Genesse Ivonne Moreno's possession.

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Family says Genesse Ivonne Moreno was suffering from schizophrenia

While police explore the motive in the case, suspect Genesse Ivonne Moreno’s ex-mother-in-law, Rabbi Walli Carranza, posted on Facebook on Monday. In the post, she said that her grandson, identified as Samuel Moreno-Carranza, suffered a gunshot wound to the brain and was clinging to life at Texas Children's Hospital.

Carranza, who lives in Mexico, stated that the boy’s father, Quito, who resides in Florida, was on his way to his son. Carranza called the shooting a “completely preventable horror” and said her daughter-in-law, who suffered from schizophrenia, “raged against Israel and Jews in a pro-Palestinian rant” on the day of the shooting.

However, Carranza insisted the incident had “nothing to do with Judaism or Islam,” but stemmed from Genesse Ivonne Moreno's severe mental illness. Carranza also stated that despite being diagnosed with mental illness, child protective services of Montgomery County and Harris County refused to remove her grandson from his mother's care.

Carranza said that when her daughter-in-law was medicated she was a sweet and loving woman and added:

“Mental illness is a real illness and when family members seek emergency protections they're not doing so for their own sake but for the sake of the person who is ill..... And to protect her child and society.”

Carranza asked people to respect their privacy as they grapple with the devastating tragedy.