HOUSTON — We're getting new reaction from a law enforcement expert to dramatic bodycam footage and surveillance videos showing the deadly shooting inside Lakewood Church earlier this month.
Houston police released nearly half an hour worth of footage Monday showing a woman opening fire inside and off-duty law enforcement responding.
We showed the video to the woman who created the FBI's active shooter program, who said what she saw in the video is true bravery.
It was Sunday, Feb. 11 that terror shattered the peace inside one of the country's most popular megachurches. Cameras captured Genesse Moreno, 36, pulling up to the church and walking in with her 7-year-old son, Samuel, in tow. She tried to get into the sanctuary, but it was locked. That's when gunfire erupted in the hallway.
Officers were seen running towards the danger as churchgoers, even children, ran for their lives.
Another angle shows the shooter's son covering his ears as the shooting began. It was off-duty officers working security who confronted Moreno. One exchange was captured on body cam footage in the middle of the firefight. In it, Moreno said she had a bomb and told police they killed her son.
As the chaos unfolded, officers were heard forcing themselves to keep moving towards the threat. Katherine Schweit, who created the FBI's active shooter response program, reacted to law enforcement's response.
"It was gripping to listen to the officer asking God to guide them and knowing that she needed to move forward as fast as she could," she said "The frightening part that is the reality you see in that video footage is that she she doesn't know what she's going to face."
Houston police released the video on their YouTube page. A warning: The video shows the shootout and aftermath and has profanities. It may be difficult for some people to watch.
It was TABC agent Adrian Herrera who neutralized the shooter. Schweit said the response saved lives.
"They're having to make split-second decisions and I think they did a great job to do that," she said.
But the threat wasn't over yet. Officers also focused on getting help to Moreno's 7-year-old son who had been shot in the head.
It was a mass of humanity in the middle of horror was captured on video, as HPD officers prayed over the boy.
"When you're in the heat of it, your objective is to try to get to the shooter and neutralize the shooter, stop the shooter from doing that," Schweit said. "And then you have to pick up the pieces afterwards and that poor little boy is part of those messy parts."
We did get some good news about that child. His grandmother told us he actually smiled on Monday. Nonetheless, there's a very long road ahead for this boy and his family. It's still not clear from the video who shot him.
There is only a bodycam video from HPD officers of the shooting. It's policy for the Houston Police Department to release bodycam video of deadly shootings within 30 days. TABC agents don't wear bodycams.
HPD officer heard on bodycam praying
Officer Garcia was standing in a hallway talking with other law enforcement officers when they suddenly heard what appeared to be gunshots.
"Why are people running?" Garcia asked.
Then as she and other officers ran toward the gunfire, you can hear Garcia say," Father God... Father God, just be with us."
As Garcia got closer to the shooter, she kept praying.
"Come on. Come on. We need to approach. Father God, just be with us. Forgive us our sins," Garcia prayed.
As she rounded a corner, she was told the shooter was down. She then knelt beside Moreno's 7-year-old son who was unconscious with a bullet wound to the head.
“Father God, please bring him close to you," Garcia said.