The Houston Police Department on Monday released long-awaited video footage of the Lakewood Church shooting, which left the shooter dead and two people wounded, including the shooter’s 7-year-old son.
The 25-minute-long video includes segments of security footage and three separate bodycam recordings and shows what happened before and after 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno opened fire inside the west hallways of Lakewood Church on Feb. 11.
The video begins with silent security footage and shows Moreno — who is wearing a beige trench coat concealing an AR-15 and a backpack containing a second rifle — pulling up to the church in a white SUV and entering the west side of the building with her son, 7-year-old Samuel Carranza. After entering the building, Moreno and her son walk off-screen for a few moments before people begin running in the opposite direction, presumably after Moreno begins to open fire.
Two off-duty officers who were working security — a Houston police officer and a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent — returned fire. During the standoff, Moreno can be heard telling the officers to “stop shooting,” and that she has a bomb in her bag.
“I will blow up the whole f-king place,” she yells. “Stand down, I have a bomb.”
At some point during the shooting, Moreno’s son was shot in the head. In the wake of the shooting, it’s been unclear whether the responding officers or Moreno herself was responsible for shooting her son as the ongoing investigation continues. However, during the newly-released video, Moreno can be heard yelling “you killed my son” and repeatedly asking the officers for help.
Throughout the shooting, officers can be heard telling Moreno to put the gun down. After repeatedly refusing, the TABC agent — who wasn’t wearing a body camera — opened fire and killed Moreno, police said.
Over the last two weeks, Carranza has undergone five brain surgeries and was still in critical condition as of Monday morning. According to his grandmother, the 7-year-old has been able to breathe on his own, but may need more surgeries. Additionally, a 57-year-old man was shot in the leg during the shooting and was released from the hospital shortly after.
“While we know there are unanswered questions, this is still an active investigation,” HPD Chief Troy Finner said in a statement posted to social media. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly examine all aspects of this incident.”
Warning: The video below contains graphic content and language.
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