Tragically, a woman named Genesse Ivone Moreno shot and injured a man and her 7-year-old child inside the megachurch of famous Texas preacher Joel Osteen. Never reaching the main sanctuary, the assault happened in a passageway just before the start of a service. Very little information on Moreno’s motivation or where she got her weapons has been made public by the police. A “Palestine” sticker was discovered on the buttstock of Moreno’s gun, and investigators discovered antisemitic writings by her in her house.
Moreno’s in-laws were Jewish.
Her prior misdemeanor convictions would not have prevented her from purchasing the firearm in Texas, a state with lax gun control laws. There is not yet enough publicly accessible evidence to tell if her history of mental illness triggered federal prohibitions, according to legal experts. Moreno was placed under emergency custody in 2016, according to Houston police, who did not provide any more details.
There is no official “red flag” statute in Texas that would enable authorities or loved ones to petition a court to forcibly remove firearms from a person who is considered a risk, often due to mental health issues or violent threats.
Despite having a criminal record and suffering from mental health issues, the shooter in this incident was able to get a firearm lawfully.
The shooting’s motivation remains a mystery, and the police have not provided any information. After a trip to the hospital for treatment of a leg wound, the man was discharged.
The church was set to enter a Spanish service when the shooting happened. Moreno had a.22 caliber firearm in her backpack and utilized a lawfully acquired AR-15. Whether she was a troubled person or driven by political motives is what investigators are attempting to ascertain.
A witness who happened to be inside the church during the incident reported hearing many explosions and saw people frantically fleeing the scene. To prevent the door from opening, she and others, including a kid, secured it with two giant wooden planks and then started to pray.
