Boy Shot In Head At Joel Osteen's Church Identified As Slain Shooter's Son

Genesse Moreno, 36, was fatally shot and her 7-year-old son critically wounded after she fired an AR-15 rifle inside the Houston church on Sunday, police said.

A 7-year-old boy who was shot in the head during a shooting Sunday inside Pastor Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch has been identified as the son of the deceased shooter, according to police.

The child, previously described as a 5-year-old, remained in critical condition on Monday following an exchange of gunfire between two law enforcement officers and the child’s mother, 36-year-old Genesse Moreno, who was armed with two firearms, the Houston Police Department said at an afternoon press conference.

Moreno, who had a known history of mental illness, entered Lakewood Church with the child shortly before 2 p.m. and “immediately” started firing an AR-15 rifle inside a hallway. A second gun, a .22-caliber rifle, was also in her possession but not fired, said Police Commander Christopher Hassig of the city’s homicide division.

“Multiple shots were exchanged by all three,” said Hassig, who added that it’s not yet clear from their investigation who shot the child. Moreno, who is believed to have acted alone in the attack, was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

A motive was not immediately known, though police did mention that a sticker was found on the AR-15 rifle that said “Palestine.” The woman also left behind some anti-Semitic writings and had a family dispute with her ex-husband and some of his Jewish family members, Hassig said.