Police identify Genesse Moreno as shooter at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church: What we know

Texas police on Monday identified the alleged assailant who was killed by police in a shooting at Joel Osteen's megachurch as 36-year-old Genesse Moreno and said a 7-year-old left in critical condition in the incident is the suspect's biological son.

At approximately 1:53 p.m., Moreno walked into Lakewood Church wearing a trench coat and a backpack and opened fire, Houston Police Department Homicide Division Cmdr. Chris Hassig said at a Monday news conference. The suspect was accompanied by a young child, identified by police as Moreno's son.

Houston police Chief Troy Finner said the shooter pointed a weapon at a security guard to force entry to the church.

A pair of off-duty officers at the church fatally shot Moreno, who was confirmed dead at the scene, during an exchange of fire in a church hallway, Finner said.

During the incident, the 7-year-old boy was shot in the head and later taken to Texas Children's Hospital by Houston Fire Department personnel. It's unclear who shot the child.

"What we need to do for him is pray," Finner said.

A 57-year-old man was also struck by gunfire. Police on Monday said he was released from the hospital.

Police recovered an AR-15 with a sticker reading "Palestine" on the buttstock, Hassig said. Moreno also carried a .22 caliber rifle.

Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting. Hassig cited a "mental health history" and "antisemitic writings" linked to Moreno. Authorities also learned of a "familial dispute" between Moreno and an ex-husband and his family, who police said are Jewish.

Here's what we know so far about the incident.

Who is Genesse Moreno?

Moreno used other "aliases," including Jeffrey Escalante, Hassig said.

Moreno has arrests dating back to 2005, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety criminal history search.

Moreno was arrested in April 2022 on a charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon, according to the Fort Bend County Court website. Moreno pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor in October of the same year.

In 2010, Moreno was arrested on charges of forgery, marijuana possession and evading arrest, court records say. A year earlier, Moreno was accused of assaulting a public servant and later pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Moreno, who is from El Salvador, worked in real estate, according to a LinkedIn page.

Shots fired just before service

The gunfire rang out just before a Spanish-language service was set to start at the 16,000-seat venue, which formerly served as a sports arena. Videos from inside the building showed a frenzy, with many churchgoers running for the exits while others took cover beneath their seats.

"It could have been a lot worse," Finner said at a Sunday news conference.

Moreno claimed to have a bomb, police say

The Houston Police Department's bomb squad searched Moreno's vehicle and backpack and found no explosives, despite Moreno claiming to have a bomb.

Witnesses reported seeing Moreno spray "some type of substance" on the ground before opening fire but Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said "We have not found anything that is of concern to our community or to this location."

Finner on Sunday said a sweep of the church would be conducted to ensure there's no threat.

Officers placed on administrative duty

Both off-duty officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation by their respective agencies, Finner said.

At the time of the shooting, one officer, 38, with four years of service, worked as an agent for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The other, 28, with two years of service, worked for the Houston Police Department.

Osteen: 'We don't understand why this happened'

Osteen, one of the highest profile pastors in the country who presides over services attended by tens of thousands, said the shooting has left him "in a fog." Services at the church are regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, making it the third largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen’s televised sermons reach about 100 countries.

"We've been here 65 years and to have somebody shooting in your church?" Osteen said at a news briefing with police. "We don't understand why this happened. We're going to pray for that… boy, and pray for the lady that was deceased and her family and all, and the other gentleman."

He said the church is "going to stay strong. We're going to continue to move forward. There are forces of evil but the forces for us, the forces of God are stronger than that."

Osteen said he's thankful more people were not hurt. "If there's anything good of it, she didn't get in there and do a whole lot worse damage," he said.

Contributing: Associated Press