13 February 2024 , 10:49
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A woman who sprayed bullets around one of the biggest churches in the US already had a rap sheet containing firearms offences.
It has been revealed that AR-15-wielding suspect Genesse Ivonne Moreno was arrested on weapons charges – years before opening fire at megachurch Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Moreno, 36, was killed following Sunday's shooting that left two people injured.
The alleged would-be assassin from El Salvador was arrested in April 2022 after police found her with a weapon and she was subsequently jailed before being released after two days. Cops took the gun and it was destroyed. She then pleaded guilty to the offence when she appeared in court in the following October.
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Pastor Joel Osteen said he was shocked at the incident (AP)According to ABC affiliate KTRK, her rap sheet has charges relating to drugs and assault. In 2009, she pleaded guilty to an assault charge before being arrested in 2010. She was arrested after being found with marijuana and was charged with resisting arrest in the same year. She allegedly made off with socks and beauty goods from a store.
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Moreno opened fire after walking into the megachurch, where Joel Osteen is a pastor and her seven-year-old son was injured, leaving him critical in hospital, with his grandmother posting on Facebook that the child suffered a brain injury. Another man, 56, was also injured after being caught up in the gunfire.
Cops said that her AR-15 had a Palestine sticker on it, however, officers said that they are not yet classifying the incident as a hate crime. It is not known where she bought the weapon. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Moreno’s mental health history had been put on record. Finner said Moreno’s gun was long and warned the the effects could have been far more devastating.
Investigators described the shooter, who struck while there was a Spanish language service taking place, as acting in isolation. Pastor Osteen was left devastated by the horror and said on X: "We don’t understand why these things happen but we know God is in control. In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember evil will not prevail. God will guide us through the darkest of times. Together, we will rise above this tragedy and stand firm in our commitment to love and support one another."
Authorities respond to a shooting at Lakewood Church (AP)People caught up in the shocking incident said they feared for their lives, with Paula Laverde telling NBC affiliate KPRC-TV: "So there was one shot first and then there was a set of shots and then we started running and then there were multiple sets of shots, I can’t really count them, it was at least five times that they shot multiple times."
Meanwhile, people familiar with Moreno said she generated fear amongst her peers, with one neighbour saying: "She was very mean, very angry." Witnesses said they scrambled to escape. Paula Laverde said she heard a series of shots ring through the building and another witness said she took off her shoes before running. Laverde added: "One lady was so scared she fell down." Around 45,000 people go to the megachurch every week, which is the third-largest megachurch in the US.