The Christian Post's top 10 news stories of 2024 (part 1)
10. Shooting occurs at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church
As many Americans were preparing for Super Bowl parties after Sunday services, news broke that there had been an active shooter situation at Pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 11.
The shooting occurred when a woman walked into the church and pointed an AR-15 at off-duty officers, who shot her dead after she fired her weapon multiple times.
The news horrified churchgoers nationwide, who have become increasingly aware of churches being seen as soft targets, leading many houses of worship to hire armed security and employ other measures to protect their congregants.
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Leaders at Lakewood Church, which has both on and off-duty armed police providing on-site security during each of its worship services and other events, were relieved that no members were killed during the shooting that began just before its afternoon Spanish language service.
Amid the shootout, one 57-year-old churchgoer was shot and subsequently treated and released from a nearby hospital. The shooter, who was identified as a 36-year-old Hispanic woman named Genesse Ivonne Moreno, was shot dead, and her 7-year-old son, who she took along with her as she carried out the church attack, was shot in the head.
During the shootout, the suspect's young son, identified as Samuel Moreno-Carranza, sustained a severe, life-threatening injury. When the shooter saw that her son had been shot and thought he was dead, she was captured on video erratically pacing back and forth and shooting her weapon at officers, warning them that she also had a bomb.
"I will blow up this whole f— place. You killed my son," she told officers.
"Stand down. I have a bomb. I have a f— bomb. There's a bomb in this bag. Stop shooting." It was later discovered that she did not have a bomb in her backpack.
When officers saw Samuel had been shot in the head, one officer was recording on bodycam footage praying over the young boy, "Father God, please bring him close to you," the visibly shaken officer can be heard praying. "Please bring him close to you."
Moreno had a lengthy criminal record and a history of suffering from mental health issues. Her previous arrests had included unlawful carrying of a weapon, evading arrest and assault on a public official.
In addition to carrying the AR-15 featuring a "Palestine" sticker, which Moreno fired at the officers, she also had a .22 caliber rifle, which was not used in the shooting.
Lakewood Church leaders mourned the loss of life of the shooter and urged believers worldwide to pray for her 7-year-old son to survive his injuries.
During the following Sunday's service, Osteen led a prayer for Samuel's recovery:
"Lord, we lift up that little 7-year-old boy, Samuel, who was injured here, Lord, and [through] no fault of his own," Osteen prayed.
He continued: "Lord, we know you can do what looks impossible. Even though medical reports don't look good, Lord, I know he's in your hands. Lord, I thank you that his destiny for his life will come to pass, and Lord, that your mercy is upon his life. We just pray for your healing and wholeness. And Lord, I pray for all the family of the deceased and the troubled woman, Lord."
At the service, which also featured Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, Mayor John Whitmire and other city and state officials, Osteen revealed that he was at the church when the shooting transpired and saw God's hand moving in that situation.
Although he survived, Samuel had part of his frontal lobe removed but was able to breathe on his own and was taken off the ventilator. In an update last spring, his grandmother said he was able to sit up in a specialized wheelchair and was wearing protective headgear for people who had suffered a brain injury.
Melissa Barnhart contributed to this report.
