SAN JACINTO COUNTY, TX — A Mexican national is suspected of killing five neighbors in southeast Texas after one of them asked him to stop shooting his rifle late Friday, saying that a baby was trying to sleep.
In a Fox News interview with San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, the suspect in the execution-style killings is Francisco Oropeza, 39, a Mexican national.
According to the sheriff, the suspect was a neighbor who had been firing an AR-15-style .223 caliber rifle in his yard before midnight. Police found shell casings in the yard.
“One of the victims came out of the house and said, hey, we have a small baby that’s trying to sleep,” Casper said. “And the man said, I’ll shoot out in my front yard, I do what I want to in my own residence.” Witnesses also told investigators the gunman was drinking alcohol.
Police say the man walked up to the front door of his neighbor’s house and began firing. One victim was found by the doorway leading into the living room. Another victim was found dead in the living room. Two more women were found shot dead upstairs, their bodies shielding young children who survived and were taken to a hospital.
Caspers said each victim had been shot in the head.
The Sheriff states that the mass shooting took place at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday. The sheriff’s office received a call in reference to people being shot, as well as other types of harassment taking place.
When officers arrived, they located four people deceased inside the home. They were able to Life Flight an eight-year-old boy to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A SWAT unit from neighboring Montgomery County arrived to assist and cleared several properties near to the crime scene. The shooter was determined to have fled the county.
Police have since located Oropeza and are hopeful that he will soon be in custody, Capers told Fox News Digital. The sheriff said police have pinned the suspect in a wooded area 1.2 miles west of the crime scene.
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In a tweet, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that they were also assisting in the search for Oropeza.
The FBI is assisting the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office in the search for the suspect from this morning's shooting in Cleveland, TX. All questions regarding the investigation should be directed to the San Jacinto County SO as it remains the lead investigative agency #HouNews pic.twitter.com/H0z9nTczhd
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) April 29, 2023
Capers told Fox News Digital he is “praying” that the suspect will be in custody soon.
He said this was the first mass shooting incident with more than three victims his office has ever dealt with.
“Nobody should ever have to witness this,” Capers said. “Nobody should ever have to live through this.”
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The sheriff’s office is withholding the identities of the victims pending notification of next of kin, but says it has a copy of Oropeza’s consular identification card.
Caspers said authorities confiscated a shotgun, two rifles, including the .223 caliber rifle, and a pistol from the victims’ residence.
A judge issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest and assigned a $5 million bond.
Texas Rangers are assisting with the ongoing investigation. Police are asking the public to avoid the area, as there is still a heavy police presence.
Click here to read the full Fox story.
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