Heinous Crimes
Manhunt continues for Texas mass shooting suspect
The manhunt continued Monday for a mass shooting suspect in Texas who allegedly killed five of his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing his gun outside.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, remains on the run after the mass shooting, which occurred this past Friday around 11:30 p.m. in the town of Cleveland, Texas. Oropeza was shooting off rounds from his AR-15 when his neighbor, Wilson Garcia, asked him "respectfully" to move farther away from their home because their baby was trying to sleep, Garcia told The Associated Press. Oropeza had reportedly been drinking, and got angry when Garcia then called the police, sources told The New York Times.
Following their interaction, Oropeza allegedly went to the Garcia home armed with his rifle, and went on a rampage inside the house, killing five people. The shooting was described as "execution style." Five other people inside the home survived, including Garcia, who told the Times the suspect "wanted to kill us all to leave no evidence."
The deceased were identified by police as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8.
While authorities searching for the suspect initially believed that Oropeza was within a two-mile radius of the crime scene, NBC News reported that police believe he may now be further away after locating his cellphone and clothes. San Jacinto Sheriff Greg Capers said he "could be anywhere now," and FBI officials said they "consider him armed and dangerous. He is out there, and he's a threat to the community."
The mass shooting happened on a block where people often "unwind by firing off guns," AP reported. It comes as the United States is still struggling to come to terms with a string of confrontational and unwarranted shootings in recent weeks.