The person responsible for Sunday's shooting at Pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which critically injured a minor and injured a man, was carrying
an assault rifle with the word "Palestine" written on the weapon
, according to Two sources from security agencies told NBC News, adding that during the shooting he also made statements that could be related to his motivations, although the sources cited declined to provide more information on the matter.
[“A lot of gunpowder, a lot of smoke, we started running,” says a survivor of the shooting at a popular Houston church]
The attacker, identified as a trans woman by police, was shot dead by two off-duty officers (from the Houston police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) who were in the church, Troy Finner said Sunday. , Houston police chief.
The injured minor is in critical condition.
Another 50-year-old man was injured in the leg.
The woman, between 30 and 35 years old, according to police, took her son, about 5 years old, to the church, according to sources cited by NBC News.
At one point she claimed that she had a bomb, but it was not true;
In addition, she used a spray with a still unknown substance.
Authorities responded to a shooting at a church in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, February 11, 2024.KPRC
According to the aforementioned sources, she is a 37-year-old Hispanic woman who has been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno (and also known as Jeffrey Genesse Escalante-Moreno).
Police records show she had been arrested six times previously, and was charged with carrying a weapon without a permit (she pleaded guilty), fleeing arrest, and assaulting a public officer (she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor).
The sources cited by NBC News have not confirmed whether the minor who was injured was the woman's son and whether the bullets that wounded him came from his rifle or from the agents who killed the aggressor.
Authorities are investigating a wide range of possible motives, given the writing on the gun, but cannot yet say conclusively what led to the shooting.
They have not ruled out motives related to terrorism or hate crimes.
The FBI office in Houston said it continues to assist the Houston Police Department in the investigation of the shooting, according to a statement from a spokesperson for the federal agency.
“I can confirm that an operation was conducted overnight by the FBI and local agents,” he explained, “but Houston Police remain the lead investigative agency into this incident.”
The targeted church is attended by about 45,000 people a week, making it the third largest in the United States, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
The televised sermons of its pastors, Joel and Victoria Osteen, reach about 100 countries.
In a statement on the social network Facebook, Osteen urged his followers to lean on their faith to cope with anguish.
“Our community is devastated by the events and grateful for the swift action of law enforcement,” he said, “together we will rise above this tragedy and remain steadfast in our commitment to love and support each other.”