Palestinian Supporter Shoots Up US Church

[Mosby]

A woman who walked into a popular Texas megachurch Sunday afternoon with a long gun and a young child opened fire before she was killed by law enforcement officers on scene. The gunfire left the child in critical condition and another man injured, officials said.

Authorities are now probing the shooting at televangelist and pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church – roughly 6 miles from downtown Houston.

-snip-

The shooter used an AR-15 that had “Free Palestine” written on it, according to a federal law enforcement source. Investigators are trying to determine whether she was politically motivated or a disturbed individual, the source said.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/us/joel-osteen-lakewood-church-shooting-monday/index.html

The media seems to be claiming this bigot with an ar15 is just mentally ill. Can't believe they are resorting to right wing framing, but we all know why, don't we.

[Walleye]

1. Can we just say anybody who buys one of these guns is probably mentally ill?

Apologies to those who buy guns and use them responsibly

[yagotme]

18. I think if you had stated "anybody that goes and shoots up a church is mentally ill?"

or any other public or private area, no apologies would be necessary.

[Walleye]

19. Point taken. You are right I should've thought about it I just get so angry

[yagotme]

21. Sometimes I have to stop typing, take a breath or two, and restart.

My posts usually fare better that way.

[Mosby]

2. Cnn made a decision where to put a salient fact.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[TheKentuckian]

3. Pro Hamas will lead to just being Hamas

The body must follow the head and heart.

[Voltaire2]

4. The shooter was involved in a custody dispute with her dubious husband's famiily.

Some antisemitic writings have been recovered, but a motive behind the Sunday afternoon shooting has not been determined, according to police.

"We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband's family," some of whom are Jewish, police said.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/lakewood-church-shooting-motive-unknown-pro-palestinian-message/story?id=107158963

The husband's family apparently includes members of Osteen's horrible church. Both this woman and the husband have criminal records.

But sure, make it about Israel and Palestine.

[Mosby]

5. Th assault rifle had "free palestine" written on it.

Seems pretty clear to me. Your opinion about the church is irrelevant.

[TheRealNorth]

6. It did not say "Free Palestine"

It only said "Palestine" per the article. So quite clearly, YOU are the one injecting misinformation/ propaganda here

[OilemFirchen]

7. Perhaps that's the name of the gun shop where it was purchased.

“Antisemitic writings” were found in a search of items belonging to the shooter who opened fire Sunday afternoon at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, according to law enforcement.

Oh look! A link!

[Mosby]

10. CNN updated the article

The shooter used a legally purchased AR-15 with a “Palestine” sticker on it, police said. A federal law enforcement source previously told CNN “Free Palestine” was written on the gun. She also had a .22 caliber weapon in her bag which was not used in the attack, according to a federal law enforcement source. Investigators are trying to determine whether she was politically motivated or a disturbed individual, the source said.

Thanks for the heads up.

[intheflow]

15. She brought a child to a slaughter.

I’d say she was a disturbed individual in addition to whatever her other motivations were.

[obamanut2012]

12. No, it did not say "Free Palestine" on it

That is untrue.

[former9thward]

16. What did it say?

[LeftInTX]

17. Her former mother in law was Jewish and is very pro-Israel and is also a "rabbi".

Last edited Tue Feb 13, 2024, 03:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Sounds like there was a custody dispute with the little boy. The ex has legal issues himself, so maybe the grandmother was trying to obtain custody of the little boy? Moreno's ex is a sex offender who has been living in Florida for a few years.
I really don't see much connection to Olsteen's church.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/lakewood-church-shooting-family-statement-moreno-18664588.php

Moreno was also went through an acrimonious divorce. Police said their initial investigation had uncovered some anti-Semitic writings by Moreno, which they said might be related to the family dispute. Some of her in-laws, including Walli Carranza, are Jewish.

According to Carranza's FB page, she is widowed.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspected-lakewood-church-shooter-criminal-history-mental-health/story?id=107179259

Apparently, shooter was not a US citizen. So did she somehow pass a background check?

According to another news article the shooter herself had once attended Lakewood. (That would make the most sense )

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/houston-texas-lakewood-church-shooting-update/285-a74df5e3-e116-4be3-9823-f95308687097

[ExciteBike66]

8. This would be more salient if it had been a synagogue

So far she seems to have had a personal problem with some people, rather than a political motive.

[Igel]

9. Would have been.

But at the same time a lot of people conflate Evangelicals with knee-jerk support for Zionism, so rather than heading out to find a synagogue perhaps a very large, very prominent church would do. (Or maybe it's just Houthi-like behavior--the US supports Israel, death to the US!).

[Mosby]

11. Antisemitic motive confirmed by Houston police

Link to tweet

Her mental health evaluation was 8 years ago.

[LeftInTX]

13. A lot of Latinos are involved in "Free Palestine"

Last edited Mon Feb 12, 2024, 09:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Oops..She wasn't transgender. The media originally reported her as transgender, but apparently she had gone by the name Jerry Escalante. (Apparently identity theft/forgery)

[spanone]

20. She's been wacko for many years....a most disturbed individual.

[LeftInTX]

22. The shooter apparently attended the church in the past

Her ex mother in law is Jewish. Her ex father in law died almost 30 years ago.
Her ex is a sex offender in Florida.
She is not a US citizen, so maybe that is the reason for all the aliases.

[Mosby]

23. Lakewood Megachurch Shooter Expressed Antisemitism, Support for Islamist Terrorist Groups

Preliminary research by the ADL Center on Extremism (COE) shows Genesse Moreno, who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on February 11, 2024, before being killed by off-duty officers, expressed support for a range of antisemitic, anti-Zionist and extremist beliefs and praised U.S.-designated terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Moreno’s mother reportedly attended the church, but it is unclear why Moreno targeted Lakewood in the attack that also left two people wounded.

ADL researchers have found Moreno’s antisemitic, pro-Palestinian Telegram channel and chat, where she shared terrorist propaganda and antisemitic conspiracy theories, praised U.S.-designated terrorist groups and frequently ranted about her ex-mother-in-law Walli Carranza, a Colorado-based rabbi whom she accused of trying to “kidnap” her son. News reports indicate Moreno suffered from schizophrenia and that police found antisemitic writings among her belongings.

Moreno’s Telegram posts indicate she began planning the attack at least a month prior to the shooting and initially considered targeting a pro-Israel rally. “I call on all Muslim college people invite me to the next pro-Israel rally I will have two surprises in support of PALESTINE,” she wrote in a January 3, 2024, post.

https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/lakewood-megachurch-shooter-expressed-antisemitism-support-islamist-terrorist-groups