Child Shot After Mother Dragged Him Into Lakewood Church With A Rifle, Shouting Threats
The boy’s mother brandished an AR-15 with the word “Palestine” written on it before being shot and killed, her child caught in the crossfire
A 7-year-old shot in the crossfire of an attempted mass shooting after being dragged by his mother into Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas remains in critical condition and is unlikely to survive.
On Sunday afternoon, a suspect that has since been identified as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno entered the famous megachurch, known for its pastor Joel Osteen, armed with an AR-15 and shouting threats of a bomb.
Moreno shot and injured one man before being shot and killed by two off-duty police officers who were serving as security at the church. Police say she did not appear to have had explosives, and that “Palestine” was written on her long rifle.
Although rumors circulated that Moreno was transgender due to her use of several aliases including “Jeffery Escalante,” police identified her as a woman and she is reportedly the biological mother of the little boy who was shot in the incident.
The Houston Chronicle reported that a CPS investigation is now underway as the boy appeared to suffer from physical and developmental disabilities and was not enrolled in school.
The second victim was a 57-year-old man who was treated at the hospital and released.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner was unsure if the off-duty officers who returned Moreno’s fire shot the boy, but he put the blame squarely on his mother.
"If it was, unfortunately, and that female, that suspect, put that baby in danger, I'm gonna put that blame on her,” he said.