Horrifying bodycam footage released shows the moment shots rang out after an active shooter opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church shouting "I have a bomb."
The Houston Police Department released bodycam footage of Genesse Ivonne Moreno storming the megachurch on February 11 with her 7-year-old son before being gunned down by officers on the scene. The video shows different moments of the shooting from three officers including the gunshots heard down the hallway which prompts the group to walk towards the direction of the sound.
"We realise the video of this shooting may be unsettling to members of the community. HPD is releasing it as part of our commitment to release critical incident videos within 30 days," Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said in a statement on social media. They released the roughly 26-minute long video which includes the sounds of dozens of bursts of gunfire
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Genesse Ivonne Moreno storms into the church with a gun (Houston Police Department)The officer with the body camera begins to run in the direction of the gunfire, as people begin to run in the opposite direction. After several people ran for their lives, the officer pulled out his gun and began walking toward the shooter, although Moreno was not in sight.
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More gunshots ring out as the officers move toward the shooter, whispering and hiding behind any nearby object. "Come on. We need to approach," one officer whispers to the other before praying. "Father God, just be with us. Forgive us for our sins. Come on."
The shooter is later heard saying, "You killed my son. Stand down. I have a bomb. I have a f-----g bomb." Between the gunshots, she states "All I need is help" and "I need help, that's all."
Bodycam footage shows armed officers hunting down the suspect (Houston Police Department)"There’s a bomb in this bag. Stop shooting," she yelled, though officers shouted back to put the weapon down. "I won’t. The bomb is going to go off."
Additional gunshots were fired when the officer with the bodycam noticed the shooter was on the floor as churchgoers scrambled for their safety.
"While we know there are unanswered questions, this is still an active investigation," Chief Finner said. "We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly examine all aspects of this incident. Our partnership with religious institutions remains a priority. We will continue to enhance safety so that all who gather can do so safely and without fear."
Moreno was shot dead (Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office)Authorities say the woman entered the church between Sunday services and began firing an AR-style rifle. Moreno did not reach the main sanctuary and was killed after exchanging gunfire with two off-duty officers. In addition to Moreno’s son, another man was wounded. It is also unclear why Moreno brought her son with her inside the church, while another 57-year-old man was shot in the hip during the exchange of gunfire.
Additional security video from the church, which didn’t have sound, showed the boy, who appeared to be in a recessed doorway, covering his ears after his mother walked off screen. She then came near him and he reached his arms out to her. When she walks off screen again, the boy appears to follow her.
Images of the child, seen wearing orange pants and a yellow shirt, were blurred after he was wounded in the shooting. Paramedics were summoned by multiple officers, who requested help after seeing the boy laying face-up on the carpeted hallway.
“We have a kid that’s down, about three bullets to his head,” one officer reported over his radio. Another officer knelt and prayed as she approached the boy, saying, “Father God, please bring him close to you.”
Houston police have not said who fired the shots that wounded the boy. From the time the shooting first began, to when officers said that Moreno had been fatally shot, about four minutes had passed, according to the released footage.
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