A 36-year-old “woman” named Genesse Moreno, born in El Salvador, opened fire inside pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood, Texas megachurch on Sunday as the Spanish language service was set to begin.
Moreno entered the building wearing a trenchcoat, holding an AR-15 with “Free Palestine” written on the side, and dragging along a 5-year-old child.
The suspect also wore a backpack and reportedly threatened parishioners with an explosive device.
Watch below as churchgoers flee the premises while loud shots ring out in the background:
So the woman who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood mega-church in Houston Texas used a gun that had the words “FREE PALESTINE” written on it.
Story about to disappear in 3… 2… 1…pic.twitter.com/v0ouU73Adu
— Joe Has Dementia (@RokerGlasses) February 12, 2024
This is a Live feed at Joel Osteen’s church in Houston just as the shooting began.
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) February 11, 2024
Off-duty police officers working a side gig as hired security for the massive church quickly responded to Moreno’s shots with their firearms and killed the suspect.
There were no explosives found on the shooter’s body or in the backpack.
The young boy accompanying Moreno and a 57-year-old man attending Sunday’s service were both hit in the shootout.
The victims are being treated at a nearby hospital with the child remaining in critical condition.
It’s currently unknown if they were shot by the assailant or the security guards responding to the shots being fired.
Police records show Moreno previously identified as a male named “Jeffrey Escalante,” leaving people questioning their biological gender.
? BREAKING: Lakewood Church shooter identified as a transgender, legal name Genesse Moreno but went by the name “Jeffrey.” ? pic.twitter.com/0gmgybgOLC
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) February 12, 2024
KHOU-TV reported Moreno “had prior arrests for assault, forgery, marijuana possession, theft, evading, and unlawful carrying weapon.”
Per law enforcement records, Moreno also had identified as Jeffery Escalante in the past, and had prior arrests for assault, forgery, marijuana possession, theft, evading, and unlawful carrying weapon
— Jeremy Rogalski (@JRogalskiKHOU) February 12, 2024
Social media posts allegedly belonging to the deceased shooter revealed they attended the Lakewood church at one point and frequently shared photos of their rifle.
The posts also revealed Moreno was a supporter of “Democratic Socialist” presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The church’s popular pastor Joel Osteen spoke to the press following the incident, praising security and saying, “We don’t understand why these things happen, but we know God’s in control. We’re going to pray for that little five-year-old boy and pray for the lady who is deceased, her family and all and the other gentleman… There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us, the forces of God are stronger than that.”
Joel Osteen speaks about the shooting that occurred at his church:
“There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us, the forces of God are stronger than that.” pic.twitter.com/Kgp1HOaYK8
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 11, 2024
Harris County Democrat Judge Lina Hidalgo told investigators to look into whether the shooting was a hate crime against Hispanic people despite the fact Moreno is from El Salvador and wrote “Free Palestine” on the gun used in the assault.
Popular ? account End Wokeness predicted the story would be quickly removed from the media spotlight as the shooter’s background doesn’t fit the establishment narrative currently being pushed, which is white Americans are the root of all evil.
The shooter behind the Joel Osteen church attack in Lakewood yesterday:
-Leftist
-Transgender
-El Salvadoran immigrant
-Free Palestine sticker on the gunExpect this story to disappear real quick
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 12, 2024
Libs of TikTok and other big social media accounts pointed out several recent mass shootings have involved transgender suspects.
Colorado Springs shooter: nonbinary
Nashville school shooter: trans
Aberdeen shooter: trans
Denver school shooter: trans
Iowa school shooter: trans/genderfluid
Lakewood Church shooter: transThe modern LGBTQ+ movement is radicalizing our youth into becoming violent extremists.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 12, 2024