Francisco Oropeza: 'Drunk' armed Texas man fatally shoots 5 neighbors, including 8-year-old boy
CLEVELAND, TEXAS: Five neighbors in Texas, including an 8-year-old boy, has been fatally shot at their home by an armed suspect who was allegedly drunk. The suspect has been identified as Francisco Oropeza, 38. The horrifying massacre took place on Friday, April 28, in Cleveland after 11.31 pm where the shooter opened fire using an AR-15-style rifle.
San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a harassment incident in southeast Texas. After they arrived at the scene, they discovered four victims shot to death. A fifth person was immediately shifted to a local hospital where the victim was pronounced dead. Three others were wounded in the mass shooting, reported New York Post.
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Who is the armed suspect?
The suspect's name is yet to be revealed to the public but authorities described him as a 5ft 8. Mexican male who was intoxicated at the time of the shooting and was armed with a rifle. "The Mexican male subject, he has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard," stated the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the suspect attached with a bond of $5 million. "We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour but we know who he is," said San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.
'They were actually trying to take care of the babies'
During the incident, ten people were inside the residence. The fatally shot people from Honduras were aged from 8 to 40 years old, reported KHOU-11. Two female victims who were covered in blood were found lying in the bedroom and on top of two surviving children.
The neighbors who were reportedly trying to get their babies to sleep asked the suspect to stop firing guns in his yard to which he replied, "I'll do what I want in my front yard." He then shot them and fled the scene. "In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive," said Sheriff Capers, according to Daily Mail.
Authorities informed the Cleveland residents to stay clear of the crime scene and to stay inside their homes until the murder probe has concluded as the shooter is still at large.