Houston police officials said Monday that the woman who opened fire Sunday afternoon at Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch had a documented history of mental illness, including prior emergency intervention by law enforcement.
Authorities identified the suspect as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno and said she utilized an AR-15 in her attack on the church. Police also said she possessed a .22 caliber rifle, but did not use it.
“She was put under an emergency detention order by Houston police officers, we believe in 2016,” said Chris Hassig, the commander of the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division. “We do believe that she does have a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family members.”
Earlier in the news conference, Hassig said the assault rifle had a “Palestine” sticker on it, and that authorities found “some antisemitic writings” during the process of uncovering evidence.
Hassig said some of the antisemitic sentiments may have stemmed from a “dispute” between Moreno and her ex-husband’s family, some of whom are Jewish.
