Genesse Ivonne Moreno : “Joel Osteen Megachurch: Police ID Shooter”

HOUSTON (KXAN) – The individual responsible for the shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday has been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, a 36-year-old woman, according to a search warrant obtained by Nexstar on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when Moreno entered the megachurch, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, armed with a long gun. Houston Police Department reported that she shot and injured one man before being killed by two off-duty security officers. Tragically, a young boy who accompanied her was also shot and is not expected to survive.

According to the search warrant, Moreno was armed with an AR-15 and had made bomb threats. An officer noticed substances that could be used for manufacturing explosive devices, although the credibility of the threat is still unknown.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission identified one of the off-duty officers involved in the incident as Agent Adrian Herrera, who was working as security for the church at the time of the shooting.

“While we are still gathering the facts on what took place at Lakewood Church, I can say that I’m extremely proud of the quick response of our agent, as well as the other law enforcement agents on the scene,” said TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly. “These officers likely prevented a much greater tragedy through their brave actions.”

Herrera has been employed by TABC for approximately five years. He has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation by TABC, as stated in a press release.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner did not disclose the suspect’s identity during a news conference on Sunday but described her as a woman in her early to mid-30s wearing a trench coat and a backpack.

Finner also mentioned that the young boy with the suspect was shot, but he did not clarify whether the boy was hit by a bullet fired by one of the off-duty officers during the exchange of gunfire.

“That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her,” Finner asserted.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner and Mayor John Whitmire will be hosting a press conference in Houston on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.