Joel Osteen addressed the need for “restoration and healing” during the inaugural Sunday service after the tragic shooting incident at his Houston church, Lakewood, last week. “Lord, we always remember your faithfulness, but this week, in particular, for all that you have done for us,” Osteen prayed during the service.
Osteen pointed out that last Sunday’s shooting—which occurred in the middle of services—could have been even more lethal. We give it our whole attention. He assured them that their guardian angels were keeping an eye on them.
Police ultimately identified the female gunman as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, and on February 11, off-duty officers providing security at the church opened fire, killing her. “This troubled woman came in and tried to strike fear,” Osteen said. “This is the time to shine brighter.”
Samuel, Moreno’s son, who is seven years old, and a man, who is fifty-seven years old, were both shot and wounded in the gunfire and gunfire that ensued. Samuel was sent to Houston’s Children’s Hospital in a severe condition after being shot in the head.
Grandma Walli Carranza wrote on Facebook three days following the incident that Samuel had suffered “a portion of his frontal lobe” injury. “Half of his right skull had to be surgically removed during two surgeries done in less than 24 hours,” Carranza wrote. “He was in cardiac arrest multiple times and no one can determine whether he has significant brain activity,” she said.
During his sermon on Sunday, Osteen prayed for Samuel’s healing and fell on his knees, pleading with God to “show him your mercy.” “I just ask you, Lord, to heal the hurts in that family,” Osteen said. Osteen also offered prayers for the well-being of the second victim, a 57-year-old male who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg but was subsequently discharged from the hospital following treatment.
“It was traumatic, you know, for a lot of people that were here and even people that weren’t here, because this is our church and this is what God has given us,” Osteen said. “For somebody to come in and kind of, not kind of, but to violate and do something crazy — but you know what? Like we singing in all these songs, we trust in God.”
In an interview with ABC News last week, Samuel’s grandma expressed her belief that the shooting was “predictable and preventable.” Carranza revealed that her ex-daughter-in-law had schizophrenia and mentioned that, “Despite the fact she had schizophrenia, she was allowed to own guns.”
The investigation into the motive is ongoing. According to documents and records reviewed by ABC News, Moreno has a criminal past and a documented history of mental health concerns; as a result, the police are investigating his background.
At the scene of the crime, authorities found an AR-15 gun with a “Palestine” sticker. Police stated, “We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband’s family,” mentioning that some members of her ex-husband’s family are Jewish.
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