Published on February 13, 2024, 2:57 am

In a shocking turn of events, a woman believed to be using male aliases opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, causing mayhem and loss. Real news reports stated that two off-duty police officers reacted promptly and fatally shot the alleged assailant after she had begun shooting in the mega-church. The suspect’s firearm was reportedly inscribed with the word “Palestine.”

The Houston police department, during their initial investigation, considered the possibility of a transgender identity linked to the shooter. Court documents suggested that the suspect had previously identified themselves as Jeffrey, leading investigators down this path. However, authorities stressed on treating the subject of gender sensitivity with utmost sensitivity during this ongoing probe.

Amidst discrepancies hinting towards potential trans identity, authorities maintained their stance based on current knowledge that the shooter was biologically female. Commander of the Houston Police Department’s homicide unit, Christopher Hassig revealed that according to her driving license she was identified as Genesse Moreno, a 36-year-old Hispanic female. Police have uncovered that she used multiple aliases like Jeffrey Escalante and switched between male and female identities throughout past documents and testimonies. Yet all investigation so far indicates consistent identification as a female since her death.

Investigators also disclosed antisemitic writings belonging to Moreno but did not confirm if her biological sex had been officially determined posthumously. It remained unclear whether she had testosterone—a hormone often used by females identifying as males—in her system at the time of death.

Reliable sources reported that Moreno had supposedly been born male—Jeffrey Escalante—in El Salvador. On Sunday’s tragic incident, Moreno infiltrated Lakewood Church brandishing an AR-15, trailing behind her was a 7-year-old boy who was later identified as her son. Trusted news outlets confirmed that both were shot leaving the boy in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital while another unrelated 57-year-old man sustained injuries too.

If confirmed that Moreno was biologically female, it would certainly stand out in the history of mass shootings as a Justice Department study published in February 2022 revealed almost 97.7% of mass shooters in the U.S to be male.

Interestingly enough, last March saw another similar incident where a biological female identified as a male and opened fire at a school in Nashville, Tennessee killing six. Audrey Hale had been under speculations about use of testosterone which has not been confirmed yet by authorities. The presence of this hormone could potentially explain why a biological female would ever carry out such an act considering the usual demographic statistics for such crimes.

As of now, uncertainties remain if Moreno was biologically female but identified as male, and whether she used cross-sex hormones like testosterone. Meanwhile, Osteen, a popular Christian preacher with considerable following despite criticism for promoting prosperity gospel—proselytizing that God intends Christians to enjoy good health and wealth—has yet to respond publically on the incident. This discussion surely aligns with subscriptions to Christian worldview that encompass respect for all lives and their intrinsic sanctity.

The narrative around this incident serves as an eye-opener about the complexity of individual identities and triggers important discourse about mental health, antisemitism and debates on gun control—all very real issues facing our society today.

*This real news article is updated based on latest information delivered by a public information officer with Houston Police Department.*