The sound of gunshots inside the massive church, which was formerly the home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, startled worshippers just before 2 p.m. Sunday February 11th. The shooter’s motive for opening fire in the celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch remained unclear.
The shooter, Genesse Moreno, entered the church wearing a trenchcoat and backpack and armed with a long rifle, police said. She pointed a gun at an unarmed security guard and once inside, began firing. Moreno, entered Lakewood Church with her 7-year-old son.
Two people were wounded in this attack, including Moreno’s son, who was shot in the head and remains hospitalized in critical condition. According to authorities, Moreno, 36, was shot and killed by two off-duty officers working as security at the Lakewood Houston church.