‘Father God’: Bodycam video shows moments officer prays over 7-year-old boy injured during Lakewood Church shooting

HOUSTON – The body camera and surveillance videos released by HPD are hard to watch. In the midst of so much terror, there is a glimpse of humanity.

On Sunday, Feb. 11, Houston police say 36-year-old Genesse Moreno went into the church at about 2 p.m. with her 7-year-old son. She had an AR-15, and she began shooting in the hallway. Two off-duty law enforcement officers approached her and returned fire, killing her. During the gun exchange, Moreno’s son was shot in the head.

Bodycam captured the raw emotions from an off-duty officer working security at the church. In the video, you can hear her pray for the boy who was shot inside Lakewood Church.

“Father God, please bring him close to you. Please bring him close to you,” the officer could be heard saying in the video.

The images inside the church are heartbreaking. The boy is seen covering his ears, trying to block out the sounds of gunfire. Police said some of the bullets came from his mother’s rifle.

The officer continued comforting the boy with prayer.

“You’re good, you’re good, you’re good. It’s OK,” said the officer.

KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel spoke with the boy’s grandmother, Walli Carranza, who has been by the boy’s bedside since the shooting. She said her grandson has a long road ahead of him and there are a lot of unknowns.

The child spent roughly two weeks in the ICU.

Carranza posted on social media last week, saying her grandson is no longer on a ventilator and is breathing well.

At the same time, she said he has developed problems that may require another neurosurgery. She said that will be the sixth neurosurgery since two bullets ripped through his brain and shattered his skull into shards of bone, according to her post.

Carranza said last week, her grandson looked up at her and smiled. She said the prayers have been powerful.

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About the Author

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

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