Was Joel Osteen Megachurch Shooter Genesse Moreno Transgender? What We Know

Police identified the suspected shooter who allegedly opened fire at Joel Osteen’s megachurch on Sunday afternoon as 36-year-old Genesse Moreno.

The Houston Police Department (HPD) held a press conference Monday afternoon in which they provided more details about the shooting at Lakewood Church, which has one of the largest congregations across the country. They confirmed Moreno, who was fatally shot by security, as the suspected shooter but did not provide details about her motive.

Police also addressed speculation about Moreno’s gender identity that spread across social media. Some conservatives shared reports that she may have been transgender, but police did not identify her as transgender during the press conference.

Christopher Hassig, commander of Houston Police Department Homicide Division, identified Moreno as female during the press conference but noted that she has a history of using both male and female aliases.

“She utilized both male and female names, but through all of our investigation through this point, talking with individuals, interview, documents, Houston Police Department reports, she has been identified this entire time as female. She, her,” he said.

Police Chief Troy Finner declined to provide more details about why she was using other aliases, saying that uncovering that information is “part of the process.” He noted that police have seen “discussion on social media,” but that officers are “just here to present the facts as we know at this time.”

Conservatives posted about Moreno’s gender identity prior to the press conference.

“JUST IN: The shooter at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church has been identified as a transgender Bernie Sanders supporter. Shocker,” posted conservative commentator Collin Rugg.

A Reuters fact check conducted in March 2023 also found that cisgender men, not transgender or non-binary individuals, comprise a majority of shooters. A shooting in Nashville last year marked the first instance of a transgender shooter in a mass shooting, in which four or more individuals were killed, a spokesperson for The Violence Project told the news outlet.

Police Found ‘Antisemitic Writings’

Meanwhile, Hassig confirmed that they uncovered “some antisemitic writings” throughout the investigative process but noted the investigation remains “very new” and that investigators will be “delving into that more.”

He said the investigation found that a familial dispute took place between her ex-husband and his family, some of whom are Jewish.

“So we believe that this might possibly be what all of this stems from,” he said.

Still, Doug Williams, FBI special agent in charge of Houston field office, said during the press conference it is “way too early” to determine the motive for the shooting.

There was also a sticker on her rifle that said “Palestine,” he said. Police believe she acted alone.

Moreno was placed under an emergency detention order by HPD in 2016, Hassig said, noting that she “does have a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family members.”

She allegedly arrived at the church just before 2 p.m. Sunday and opened fire inside the hall on the West side of the building, police said. Two individuals, a 57-year-old man and 7-year-old boy, were also shot. The boy remains in critical condition in a hospital, according to police.

Finner urged Houstonians to “hold one another up” and “watch out for one another” in the wake of the shooting.

“We go through tragic moments but we’re going to stand up as Houstonians like we do for every tragedy,” he said.