Boy who was shot in head during shooting at megachurch has part of brain removed

19 February 2024 , 18:56

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Genesse Moreno, 36, was shot dead by police after she walked into Joel Osteen's mega church and opened fired (Image: Texas Department of Public Safety)

The grandmother of the boy who was shot in the head at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch earlier this month has lost a portion of his frontal lobe while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Walli Carranza made a Facebook post three days after the shooting, saying her seven-year-old grandson Samuel Moreno-Carranza “has lost a major part of what makes us who we are” after “half of his right skull [had] to be surgically removed during two surgeries done in less than 24 hours”.

The boy suffered "cardiac arrest multiple times" and no one can say for sure whether he has significant brain activity due to the friability of his scalp tissue, which stops doctors from attaching electroencephalogram wires to him. The heartbroken grandmother also fired shots at the US' lack of gun control as these kinds of incidents persist.

READ MORE: Celeb pastor Joel Osteen says 'evil will not prevail' after shooting at megachurch

Moreno brought Samuel into the church with her before opening fire (Daily Mirror)

“Samuel had no protection of his God-given right to life,” Carranza’s post also said. “Because the very same legislators who claim to be ‘pro-life’ [in the public debate about abortion] believe that unbridled gun rights matter and the right to life does not! Insanity!”

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

The post comes as Houston authorities are still trying to determine why Samuel's mother, Genesse Moreno, who was killed by two off-duty cops when she opened fire, decided to storm the Lakewood Church with a rifle styled after an AR-15 with her son by her side.

It is also unclear why Moreno brought Samuel with her inside the church. Besides Moreno and Samuel, another 57-year-old man was shot in the hip during the exchange of gunfire.

Moreno's mother-in-law said she has a history of mental health problems (Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office)

The mystery surrounding the shooting gave way for a flurry of misinformation about Moreno, which has been swatted by police for the most part. Houston law enforcement officials reported the woman would use both male and female aliases, but interviews and prior police reports suggested Moreno identified as a woman rather than as trans.

Authorities also uncovered antisemitic writings in Moreno's home and learned she had a feud with her Jewish former in-laws. Moreno reportedly placed a pro-Palestine sticker on the stock of the assault weapon she used to shoot up the church. Officials are wary about confirming whether the attack was in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinians.

CCTV captured Moreno before the shooting February 11 (ABC)

Carranza refused to believe Israel's bombardment of the Gaza strip pushed her daughter to commit such an act, dismissing the idea as "reckless and irresponsible." The grandmother pointed to Moreno's record, which shows a litany of criminal misdemeanours and a history of mental illness, and then cited how her daughter-in-law was still able to purchase the rifle she utilised in the attack.

Osteen is something of a controversial figure. The 60-year-old took the helm of Lakewood Church after John Osteen, his father and the church's founding pastor, passed away in 1999. The church has grown dramatically under Joel Osteen and is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen took over after his father's death and introduced an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions.

Osteen is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential." His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his church's arena cost nearly $100 million. His message is decried as heresy by some theologians.

After Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in 2017, Osteen opened his church to those seeking shelter after social media critics slammed the televangelist for not offering to house people in need.

The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959.

Mataeo Smith