The words 'Free Palestine' were found written on the gun used by the woman who opened fire at a celebrity pastor's church in Houston, Texas yesterday (Sunday), police said, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The shooter, who was identified as Genessee Ivonne Moreno, 36, entered Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church at about 2 pm together with a boy believed to be four or five years old and carrying an AR-15 assault rifle. She opened fire and is believed to have fired about 12 shots.
Two security guards, including an off-duty policeman, returned fire and killed Moreno. The boy accompanying her was shot as well and seriously injured. It is unknown what the connection is between the child and Moreno or why he was with her at the time of the shooting. A civilian was also shot in the leg.
Police said afterwards that the words 'Free Palestine' were found written on the rifle Moreno used, but a motive for the shooting is currently unknown. Moreno has an extensive criminal history, according to police.
Moreno claimed during the shooting that she had a bomb. However, no explosive was found.
Pastor Osteen said that the incident could have ended much worse, as the church often sees an attendance of 45,000.
“There are forces of evil but the forces that are for us, the forces of God are stronger than that,” Osteen said.