“She tried to run us over”: Neighbors of Genesse Ivonne Moreno recount the Joel Osteen Lakewood Church shooter’s previous concerning activities

On Sunday, February 11, a 36-year-old identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, armed with an AR-15, entered and opened fire at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston. The woman also had her 7-year-old son with her at the time. She was shot and killed by off-duty officers working church security, and her son was injured after being shot and currently remains in critical condition.

Only one other civilian was injured in the shooting but he was later discharged. Court documents revealed that the shooter had a lengthy criminal background and even faced allegations of child abuse and neglect. In a press conference held by the shooter's neighbors on Monday, they revealed that many had multiple dangerous encounters with the woman, over the years. One neighbour said:

"She tried to run us over,"

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The many allegations against Genesse Ivonne Moreno

Even before becoming the Lakewood Church church shooter, Genesse Ivonne Moreno had a pretty bad reputation with her neighbors, with Child Protective Services (CPS), and with the law. A few of her neighbors held a news conference on Sunday talking about their experiences with the deceased church shooter. During the press conference, Daily Mail quoted one woman as saying:

"She tried to run us over,"

The head of the neighborhood association, who identified herself as Jill, said in the news conference:

"No one should have died. No one should have been hurt. This should have been handled years ago, and here we are again,"

Another neighbor, Giutta said:

"We tried to help her. We tried to help us. We tried to help the public. Something needs to get done."

Another neighbor, who identified herself as Heather stated that on July 4, 2022, she had made a documented complaint against Moreno to the Conroe Police for swearing and screaming expletives at her while she was simply watering her grass in the morning. While walking towards Moreno's house, Moreno even allegedly pointed a gun at her from behind her car.

Another neighbor who identified herself as Judy Keith claimed that the shooter had tried to run her over multiple times with her car. She said:

"I’m afraid to come down here. I used to walk my granddaughter down here to the park and I had to stop doing that,"

Genesse Ivonne Moreno also carried an extensive criminal record. Texas Department of Public Safety records obtained by CNN show that she had been previously arrested for assault, illegal possession of a weapon, forgery, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana. Since 2005, she has been arrested at least six times.

Houston Homicide Commander Christopher Hassig revealed in a press conference on Sunday that Genesse Ivonne Moreno was even put under an emotional detention order in 2016. Although the exact reason for Moreno trying to shoot up Lakewood Church is unknown, the police department and her social media posts offer some clues.

The police department revealed that antisemitic writings were found in connection with Genesse Ivonne Moreno and that she was embroiled in a bitter custody battle between her ex-husband's family. Her ex-husband, Enrique Carranza was revealed to be a sex offender. Police revealed:

"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,"

The woman was also revealed to have been using multiple identities, both female and male. CNN also stated that the gun she used in the church had "Free Palestine" written on it along with a Palestine sticker. A 2020 social media post found by CNN also showed a Lakewood Church letter thanking Genesse Ivonne Moreno for a donation.

Court records obtained by Fox 26 also showcased accusations that she had neglected her 7-year-old son and even abused him. Accusations from her divorce documents state that Genesse Ivonne Moreno kept her son on a feeding tube way past its need, refused to toilet train him and continued using diapers, referred to him simply as 'the boy', and even carried a loaded gun in his diaper bag.

The divorce documents also showed that Genesse Ivonne Moreno had been investigated four times by the CPS. Moreno's 7-year-old son, who was shot in the head during Sunday's shooting, remains in critical condition.