Genesse Moreno, who also went by a man's name Jeffrey Escalante, has been identified as the person responsible for the unnerving shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston. She used a seven-year-old kid, subsequently revealed to be her son, as a human shield during a shooting rampage.
On Sunday, Feb. 11, Moreno, 36, entered the megachurch clad in a trench coat and armed with an AR-15. What could have been a terrible tragedy was quickly averted thanks to the swift action of two off-duty officers, one a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer and the other a Houston Police Department officer. Moreno was killed during a shootout, and two people were injured – Moreno's child and a 57-year-old man.
Moreno's child suffered a gunshot wound to the head and remains in critical condition. Moreno, after arriving at the church with the child in the vehicle, initiated the gunfire upon entering the premises, prompting the two officers to return fire. The motive for her actions is still unknown.
The incident shed light on Moreno's complex identity, as she also identified as Jeffrey Escalante and has a long criminal history, including charges related to assault, drugs and illegal possession of firearms.
Dan Hooper, a writer at the Houston Conservative Forum, describes the shooter as a woman who thinks she is a man in a post on X, formerly Twitter. (Related: Transgender shooter’s manifesto leaked; Nashville police flip out.)
"A lengthy criminal history. A woman who thinks she is a man," said Hooper, who added that information he received from a medical examiner confirms that Moreno is a biological female. "They were looking at the body when brought in."
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Despite some confusion surrounding the gender identification of the assailant, investigators have predominantly identified Moreno as a Hispanic female. The shooter, who reportedly used multiple aliases, was recognized as having a lengthy criminal history.
Lakewood Church, under the leadership of known pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen, expressed deep sorrow and devastation in a statement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the act as "heinous" and commended law enforcement for their rapid response to the unfolding tragedy.
Shooter had long history of mental health troubles
During a press conference on Monday, Houston Police Department Homicide Division Cmdr. Christopher Hassig revealed that Genesse Moreno had a long mental health history and had been placed under an emergency detention order by Houston police officers in 2016.
According to state law, individuals with mental illness can be detained if they pose a substantial risk of serious harm to themselves or others.
In 2022, Moreno's former mother-in-law, Walli Carranza, attempted to be declared the conservator of Moreno's son, but the petition was unsuccessful. Sam, the child who was shot in the head on Sunday, was at the center of this legal endeavor.
Carranza alleged in an affidavit that a psychiatrist had issued a "red flag warning" on Moreno in 2016 after she was hospitalized with schizophrenia.
Carranza further claimed to have found a gun in Moreno's possession in 2020 and reported it to Colorado police, where Moreno was staying at the time, based on the psychiatrist's warning.
Colorado has laws aiming to restrict access to guns for individuals who may pose a risk to themselves or others.
Carranza, who mentioned on Facebook that Moreno had taken medication for schizophrenia in the past, asserted that Moreno's mother expressed fear of her daughter's "violent temper."
Despite raising red flags over six years and seeking help from Child Protective Services and the police, Carranza claimed that Moreno was still allowed to own firearms.
In 2022, Moreno also sought a protective order against her ex-husband, alleging threats, and against her former mother-in-law, claiming harassment. These cases were dismissed when Moreno failed to appear in court.
Watch this clip from "The Breanna Morello Show" as she discusses in detail how the trans-identifying shooter used her own child as a human shield.
This video is from the Breanna Morello channel on Brighteon.com.
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Nashville shooting aftermath: Anti-gun and pro-transgender activists storm state capitol buildings.
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