Lakewood Church shooting bodycam footage released
Newly-released body camera footage shows the moment a woman entered Houston's Lakewood Church on Feb. 11 with an AR-15 and her young son, firing dozens of rounds before officers shot and killed her.
HOUSTON (Nexstar) -- Newly-released body camera footage shows the moment a woman entered Houston's Lakewood Church on Feb. 11 with an AR-15 and her young son, firing dozens of rounds before officers shot and killed her.
The video shows 36-year-old Genesse Moreno enter the west entrance of the church just before 2 p.m. holding her 7-year-old son's hand and carrying a rifle underneath a trench coat. She also carried a bag containing a second rifle and a backpack, which she warned could have been a bomb.
"Stand down, I have a bomb!" Moreno yelled as off-duty officers confronted her in the videos. Her bomb threats caused some of the officers to hesitate to approach her after they shot her, the footage shows, but investigators later determined the threats were untrue.
The Houston Police Department released four body camera videos to its YouTube page Monday. The videos may be inappropriate for some. Viewer discretion is advised.
"Hold on, she might have a bomb. That's the problem," an officer warned before officers approaching Moreno.
Audio indicates Moreno fired at least 50 rounds in total, about 40 of which were in the first 90 seconds. Officers warned her to put the weapon down at least five times.
Before the incident, Moreno has a long criminal record and a documented history of mental illness. Her mother-in-law raised concerns she was schizophrenic and a danger to her son.
"Stay calm, all I need is help!" Moreno yelled to officers while continuing to fire her rifle.
Security footage shows the son distraught and covering his ears as he took cover from gunfire. He was later shot in the head. Footage does not clearly show the moment he was hit or by whom.
At one point, Moreno yells, "You killed my son!"
Her son has been in critical condition for more than two weeks and has undergone extensive brain surgeries. He is alive but severely incapacitated, according to the latest update.
"I have one young male conscious and breathing, he got shot in the head. I need medics," one officer said in the video.
"It is important to note that we are in the very early stages of the investigation, and we continue to review additional evidence as it is collected and analyzed," Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Keith Seafous said.