Megachurch shooter 'hated disabled son' and called him 'the boy'

13 February 2024 , 20:35

1162     0

Megachurch shooter 'hated disabled son' and called him 'the boy'

A woman killed by cops while she was trying to slaughter church-goers was a bit of 'Nazi fanatic' and hated her disabled son, it has been revealed.

The woman, who had a history of mental health problems, entered controversial Texas megachurch Lakewood and let loose with a deadly assault weapon before being taken down by off-duty officers who were acting as security. Genesse Moreno, 36, opened fire inside Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Sunday, before being killed by cops working security at the famed Houston church.

However, neighbours and court filings have laid bare her patchy history, with many recounting how she threatened neighbours and had a hateful relationship with her son. Moreno had a history of mental illness, as well as a trail of clashes with police. And on Sunday she used an AR-style rifle to open fire before she was killed in gunfire by the police officers, who were off duty, Her son was shot in the head among the gunfire.

READ MORE:

Moreno's neighbours said the woman often terrorised them (ABC 13)

Genesse Moreno reportedly had a history of mental health issues (Fort Bend County)

The child, according to divorce records from Montgomery County, is the son of a registered sex offender, and her son is special needs, and she "demonstrates no attachment to the child" and calls him "the boy" instead of using his name and "doesn't make eye contact with him". The child is in a critical condition after being shot in the head. Moreno was killed by the two officers.

Tragedy as 13-month-old boy dies after the stolen car he was in crashed

The woman and her child lived in a modest $247,400 four-bedroom home in Conroe, where neighbours said they were regularly menaced by Moreno. She won custody of the "severely" special-needs child – but the CPS noted she "demonstrated no attachment to her boy". However, the boy's grandmother said "we were aware of other warning signs" and added that she said have seen the shooting avoided.

Moreno entered the church with a five-year-old who was shot as a result (TIktok)

One neighbour of Moreno's behaviour during her four years in Conroe, during which cops and CPS were called to the domicile multiple times, said: "She tried to run us over. Her way of intimidation was to bring the gun cases in and out, crossbows," and according to another anonymous community member, asking not to show her face, went on to recall. She'd come out, have her gun cases, do Heil Hitler, flip you off, call you the b-word, or something. It was something every day."

Others said the woman, who her ex Enrique Carranza claimed was diagnosed as a schizophrenic during their divorce in 2022, would regularly 'swerve' at them for kicks. Many around the case said that in the years the family lived there there had been constant trouble, with one incident with her after another, with police called several times.

Moreno was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia (ABC 13)

Divorce records surrounding her confrontational split with Carranza supported these claims, as did arrest records dating back to 2005, for everything from drugs to theft to assault. The documents go on to state how Carranza, who ultimately lost custody of the child, is a registered sex offender, and that their son had special needs. Walli Carranza, the child's paternal grandmother, filed several affidavits as an intervener in Moreno and Carranza's divorce.

A licensed rabbi, she focused on Moreno's extensive mental health history and the involvement of state child welfare officials, in the ultimately unsuccessful bid to regain custody. Investigators, meanwhile, are looking into anti-semitism as a potential motive in the shooting, which Rabbi Carranza said could have been avoided. He claimed: "She had a particular kind of schizophrenia that caused her to become violent. She threatened her husband, my own son, and we still couldn't get intervention."

Pastor Joel Osteen said he was shocked at the incident (AP)

A section of one divorce filing appears to stand up the woman's claims, stating how during CPS's many visitors, the suspect 'has a history of erratic paranoid, stalking behaviour and was diagnosed as exhibiting Munchausen by proxy. Munchausen syndrome is a psychological condition where patients pretend to be ill in order to assume the 'sick role' so people care for them and give them attention. It also stated that she stored a loaded gun in her then three-year-old's diaper bag, while posts to the mother's social media saw her brag about her weapons stash.

Joel 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.

Paul Donald