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Lakewood Church shooting was 'predictable and preventable,' suspect's former mother-in-law says
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useapen
Feb 14, 2024, 3:40:59 AM2/14/24
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The former mother-in-law of the woman accused of opening fire at celebrity
pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church told ABC News she thinks the shooting
was "predictable and preventable."
Walli Carranza, who identifies herself on Facebook as a rabbi, opened up
about her former daughter-in-law Genesse Moreno's mental health issues and
noted, "Despite the fact she had schizophrenia, she was allowed to own
guns."
When news broke of a shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday,
Carranza said her heart sank.
She said the details describing the female shooter and a young boy sounded
eerily similar to her former daughter-in-law and grandson, motivating her
to call the Houston police Sunday evening to ask for a welfare check.
On Monday morning, Carranza said the police called her back and confirmed
her worst fears: Moreno, 36, had opened fire in the church, and she was
shot and killed by officers, according to police.
Carranza's 7-year-old grandson, Sam, was shot in the head and remains in
the hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.
A man believed to be a parishioner was also shot in the incident and has
since been released from the hospital, police said.
It was not clear if Sam and the parishioner were shot by Moreno or if they
were struck by officers' gunfire.
A motive remains under investigation. Police are delving into the
background of Moreno, who has a well-documented history of mental health
issues and a criminal record, according to an ABC News review of documents
and records.
"This was predictable and preventable," Carranza said. "I did reach out
to, at one point, to [the] Joel Osteen church asking for help for a mother
and for intervention, as I would expect anyone to reach out to me if one
of my congregants was in a situation that needs my intervention. And
that's what I needed from him. I needed their team, and I don't know what
they did. I don't know if they were able to."
Carranza told ABC News that when she first met Moreno, the young woman
wore a hijab and said she practiced Islam. But she said when Moreno and
Carranza's son, Quito, found out they were pregnant, Quito was adamant
about raising their son around the Jewish faith.
Carranza said Moreno's mother was a parishioner of Lakewood Church and
often attended the Spanish-language service, which was set to start around
the time of the shooting.
"There was a very contentious relationship between she and her mother,"
Carranza said. "Her mom told us ... she was afraid of Genesse."
Carranza said Moreno was diagnosed with schizophrenia and on medication
periodically. She said once Moreno was pregnant, she stopped taking the
medication and her mental health took a turn for the worse.
Carranza said her grandson was born prematurely. She said Moreno had drugs
in her system and "Sam was born drug-exposed," so Child Protective
Services "was involved in this case from the beginning."
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told ABC News it's
not able to release specifics on the case because its investigations are
confidential.
Even though Moreno was on the radar of the government and law enforcement,
Carranza said she felt the system was failing to help her family.
Carranza recalled one terrifying moment while living in Colorado when her
then-3-year-old grandson handed her a gun from Moreno's diaper bag.
"I secured it, took Sam, went to the police station and turned it in," she
said.
Carranza said she planned to visit her grandson in the hospital Tuesday
afternoon and sing songs by his beside.
"He'll know that I'm there. He'll know that it's the same voice he heard
in the neonatal intensive care unit singing to him," she said "I think the
tremendous guilt that any grandparent or parent feels where they haven't
been able to protect the child from something so horrific has to be set
aside when you're in the room with the child, so that all they feel is the
hopefulness."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/joel-osteen-lakewood-church-shooting-suspects-
former-mother-in-law/story?id=107203685
pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church told ABC News she thinks the shooting
was "predictable and preventable."
Walli Carranza, who identifies herself on Facebook as a rabbi, opened up
about her former daughter-in-law Genesse Moreno's mental health issues and
noted, "Despite the fact she had schizophrenia, she was allowed to own
guns."
When news broke of a shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday,
Carranza said her heart sank.
She said the details describing the female shooter and a young boy sounded
eerily similar to her former daughter-in-law and grandson, motivating her
to call the Houston police Sunday evening to ask for a welfare check.
On Monday morning, Carranza said the police called her back and confirmed
her worst fears: Moreno, 36, had opened fire in the church, and she was
shot and killed by officers, according to police.
Carranza's 7-year-old grandson, Sam, was shot in the head and remains in
the hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.
A man believed to be a parishioner was also shot in the incident and has
since been released from the hospital, police said.
It was not clear if Sam and the parishioner were shot by Moreno or if they
were struck by officers' gunfire.
A motive remains under investigation. Police are delving into the
background of Moreno, who has a well-documented history of mental health
issues and a criminal record, according to an ABC News review of documents
and records.
"This was predictable and preventable," Carranza said. "I did reach out
to, at one point, to [the] Joel Osteen church asking for help for a mother
and for intervention, as I would expect anyone to reach out to me if one
of my congregants was in a situation that needs my intervention. And
that's what I needed from him. I needed their team, and I don't know what
they did. I don't know if they were able to."
Carranza told ABC News that when she first met Moreno, the young woman
wore a hijab and said she practiced Islam. But she said when Moreno and
Carranza's son, Quito, found out they were pregnant, Quito was adamant
about raising their son around the Jewish faith.
Carranza said Moreno's mother was a parishioner of Lakewood Church and
often attended the Spanish-language service, which was set to start around
the time of the shooting.
"There was a very contentious relationship between she and her mother,"
Carranza said. "Her mom told us ... she was afraid of Genesse."
Carranza said Moreno was diagnosed with schizophrenia and on medication
periodically. She said once Moreno was pregnant, she stopped taking the
medication and her mental health took a turn for the worse.
Carranza said her grandson was born prematurely. She said Moreno had drugs
in her system and "Sam was born drug-exposed," so Child Protective
Services "was involved in this case from the beginning."
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told ABC News it's
not able to release specifics on the case because its investigations are
confidential.
Even though Moreno was on the radar of the government and law enforcement,
Carranza said she felt the system was failing to help her family.
Carranza recalled one terrifying moment while living in Colorado when her
then-3-year-old grandson handed her a gun from Moreno's diaper bag.
"I secured it, took Sam, went to the police station and turned it in," she
said.
Carranza said she planned to visit her grandson in the hospital Tuesday
afternoon and sing songs by his beside.
"He'll know that I'm there. He'll know that it's the same voice he heard
in the neonatal intensive care unit singing to him," she said "I think the
tremendous guilt that any grandparent or parent feels where they haven't
been able to protect the child from something so horrific has to be set
aside when you're in the room with the child, so that all they feel is the
hopefulness."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/joel-osteen-lakewood-church-shooting-suspects-
former-mother-in-law/story?id=107203685
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