A shooting incident occurred at Lakewood Church in southwest Houston. The shooter has been identified as Genesee Moreno, who sometimes used the alias Jeffrey Escalante. She had a documented criminal history and known mental health problems. During the incident, she used an AR-15 and shot her seven-year-old son during a gun battle with officers. The child is currently fighting for his life. Moreno acted alone and was fatally shot by two officers. Authorities discovered anti-Semitic writings on one of her guns.
Moreno had recently gone through a contentious divorce and custody battle, with allegations of mental illness and abuse. Friends of her ex-husband's family believe the shooting could have been prevented and attribute it to mental illness. Divorce documents indicate a history of mental health issues, and her former mother-in-law, who is a rabbi, points to mental illness rather than religious motives for the attack. The ex-mother-in-law blames the failure of the system, particularly Child Protective Services, for not intervening despite the apparent mental health issues. Moreno has a criminal history, including charges of illegally carrying two guns in 2022.
