CONROE, Texas — Years before a shooter opened fire at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, residents in the small neighborhood said they had run-ins with the suspect, who frightened them.
Six women who live in the neighborhood in Conroe, a north Houston suburb, said the woman, Genesse Ivonne Moreno, targeted them, harassed them, threatened them, displayed firearms and made them fear being outside their homes.
Late Monday afternoon, the women held a news conference in the driveway of a home to describe what they said they have been enduring and to criticize what they said was officials’ failure to respond to their reports about Moreno.
“No one should have died. No one should have been hurt. This should have been handled years ago, and here we are again,” said Jill, the president of the neighborhood association, who would not give her last name for fear of retaliation.
Authorities said Moreno opened fire Sunday afternoon between services in the Lakewood megachurch in Houston. Her 7-year-old son was with her at the time, authorities said.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Monday that the young boy was wounded and “fighting for his life.”
A 57-year-old man who also was struck has been released from the hospital.
Two off-duty law enforcement officers who were at the church returned fire, killing Moreno.
No one answered at the address where authorities say Moreno lived, nor did anyone respond to a business card left at the door. Late Monday afternoon, someone at the home taped a dated sign to the front door that said: “I do not want to speak to anyone. Please leave my property. Thank you.”
In the neighborhood, lawns are orderly with a few plants and planters on them, except for the one at Moreno’s home. It has small concrete statues of a rabbit, a fairy and an angel. Metal birds and butterflies on rods are planted around a tree. Wind chimes hang from the eaves. Doormats that say “Welcome” lead to the small portico.
A few banners with Christian…
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