Joel Osteen Church Shooting: 7-Year Old Child Wounded in Shooting Was Shooter's Son

The shooting that happened in celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch just before it started its Spanish language service has new updates. As it turns out, the young child wounded during the incident was the shooter's 7-year-old son.

According to CNN, the shooter has now been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36. She came to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church at around 2 PM on Sunday, just as people were coming in for the Spanish language service. She came from the parking lot and entered the church with her child. She then started firing, injuring one man in the process.

There were several off-duty officers who were already inside the megachurch when the shooting happened, and they fired back, killing the shooter. However, the 7-year-old boy who came with the shooter, his mother, was also hit and was sent to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

She was reportedly killed in self-defense by officers as she pointed her weapon, described as a long rifle by authorities, at the off-duty officers. Moreno was reportedly wearing a trench coat during the shooting, as well as a backpack while holding her young son.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a news conference last Sunday that they are now investigating Moreno's motive for shooting up the Joel Osteen church while people were arriving for a Sunday Spanish-language service.

Joel Osteen Church Shooting Suspect Had History of Mental Illness

On Monday, Houston Police Commander Chris Hassig also held a news conference to give more details regarding the church shooting. There, the police commander revealed that the shooter, Moreno, had a history of mental illness, including being placed under emergency detention in 2016.

Chief Hassig also noted that they think Moreno acted alone and are looking into a dispute involving Moreno and the family of Moreno's ex-husband. Investigators also found antisemitic writings by the shooter and also found that her rifle had a "Palestine" sticker on the buttstock. Police searched her residence in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston.

Police also revealed that the cop who brought her down was identified as the then-off-duty officer Christopher Moreno and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Agent Adrian Herrera.

The police did not release the shooter's son's name but they confirmed he was shot in the head and remains at the hospital in critical condition.

The gun battle happened in one of the megachurch's hallways, with none of the violence spilling into the main sanctuary, with Hassig stating that the gunfight only lasted several minutes.

Joel Osteen Back in the Spotlight After Shooting Inside His Lakewood Church

Meanwhile, the shooting has also placed the spotlight at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen once again. The 60-year-old celebrity preacher reaches around 45,000 people a week with his sermons and reaches millions more through his TV sermons.

According to the Associated Press, Osteen's church draws an almost equal mix of whites, Blacks, and Hispanics, drawing praise for how diverse his flock is. However, his preaching of the Prosperity Gospel, which critics say is an antithesis to Jesus Christ's teachings, as well as his lavish lifestyle, made many question him.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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