PIECING IT TOGETHER

Texas Megachurch Shooter Had ‘Free Palestine’ Written on Her Gun: Reports

Authorities are trying to determine whether politics or mental illness played a role in the attack.

The woman who opened fire at televangelist Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch on Sunday used an assault rifle bearing the words “Free Palestine,” according to multiple reports. Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting but continue to investigate the attack, which records show was carried out by Genesse Moreno, 36, who was shot and killed by two off-duty police officers at the scene. Moreno entered Lakewood Church on Sunday just before its Spanish-language service was about to begin and fired shots with an AR-15, which could be heard on the church’s livestream before it went dark. According to law enforcement sources that spoke to CNN and ABC News, authorities are still trying to determine whether the shooting was politically motivated and whether mental illness played a role. Moreno, who records show previously identified as Jeffrey Escalante, according to The Houston Chronicle, also had a long string of charges dating back decades, including assault, theft, forgery, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Two others were injured in the shootout: a 56-year-old man who is in stable condition, and a small child who accompanied the shooter, who remains in critical condition.