Lakewood Church shooter identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno; 'Palestine' written on gun

 Police in Houston, Texas, have identified the shooter who opened fire at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Sunday as Genesee Yvonne Moreno, Fox News has confirmed.

Moreno, originally from El Salvador, who had a lengthy criminal record, previously used the name Jeffrey Escalante Moreno, investigators said. The shooter was killed after off-duty police officers responded to the incident at the church. Police said two people were injured – a 57-year-old man and the child accompanying the shooter. A spokesperson for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office told the Houston Chronicle that the child is not expected to survive.

Initial reporting indicated the shooter was transgender, but at a Monday news conference investigators identified him as a woman and the biological mother of a 7-year-old child.

A search warrant revealed that Moreno pointed an AR-15 at officers, who fired at him in self-defense and killed him.

Initial reports also indicated that the rifle had the message "Free Palestine" written on it; Investigators later said it was just "Palestine".

Moreno, 36, has a criminal history, including convictions for assaulting a police officer in 2009 and counterfeiting in 2010.

KPRC reported that the FBI, Texas Rangers, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and members of the Conroe and Houston police departments were investigating a property in Conroe, north of Houston, believed to be Moreno's residence on Monday.

The shooting happened just before 2 a.m. Sunday afternoon at a Houston megachurch. The Spanish service was about to begin.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Moreno entered the church carrying a long rifle, wearing a backpack and a trench coat, and carrying the child.

After the shooter opened fire, off-duty officers at the scene "engaged" the shooter and returned fire. Moreno was pronounced dead at the scene.

During a news conference Sunday, Osteen thanked law enforcement and said he was "devastated" by the shooting.

Osteen said, "We don't understand why all these things happened, but we know God is in control."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting "tragic".

The motive of the firing was not clear.