The individual responsible for the recent church shooting has been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, a 36-year-old transgender immigrant from El Salvador, as per multiple independent sources who spoke to KHOU 11's Jeremy Rogalski.
Moreno, previously known as Jeffery Escalante, has a criminal record dating back to 2005, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Her history of arrests includes a variety of offenses such as failure to stop and give information, assault of a public servant, assault causing bodily injury, forgery, possession of marijuana, theft, evading arrest, and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that Moreno, donned in a trench coat and backpack, entered the church with a long rifle and a child. The Gateway Pundit previously revealed that the firearm used in the shooting, an AR15, bore a "Free Palestine" message.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, during a press conference, detailed that Moreno entered the church just before 2 pm, accompanied by a child estimated to be 4 to 5 years old, and commenced firing. The church was in the midst of transitioning between services and preparing for a Spanish language service when the attack took place, as relayed by televangelist and pastor Joel Osteen at the same press conference.
Osteen stated, "It was a moment of transition. I can only imagine what could have occurred if it had happened during the 11 o'clock service." The horrifying incident was partially captured on a church video feed, which was abruptly interrupted by the sounds of gunfire and screams.
Two off-duty officers, a 28-year-old from the Houston Police Department and a 38-year-old Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent, both with less than five years of service, confronted Moreno, resulting in her being shot. Chief Finner added that a 57-year-old man, an innocent bystander, was shot in the leg.
The child, whose relationship with Moreno has not been disclosed, was also shot and is currently in critical condition. This story is still developing, and we will provide updates as more details become available.
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