Topline
Francisco Oropesa, the man suspected of killing five of his neighbors on Friday in Cleveland, Texas, is still at large and potentially armed, according to the FBI and the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, the two agencies handling the search and investigation.
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers answers a question after a news conference on Sunday, April … [+]
Key Facts
Oropesa is accused of shooting to death five of his neighbors after he was asked to stop shooting a rifle in his yard because a baby was sleeping.
Oropesa was described by deputies as a Hispanic man about 5-foot-8 and last seen wearing jeans, a black shirt and work boots.
In a press conference on Sunday, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Smith said there were “zero leads” on Oropesa’s location and that the department was “running into dead ends.”
CNN reported that investigators tracked Oropesa with his cellphone, but lost the trail Saturday evening, after which San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said: “He could be anywhere now.” They believe Oropesa was traveling on foot.
On Sunday, Capers announced a $55,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Oropesa and Smith announced an additional $25,000 FBI reward regarding this investigation, meaning $80,000 is being offered in total.
The search originally included about 150 offers, but has since grown, with FBI Houston tweeting Monday morning: “There are over 250 law enforcement officers from over a dozen agencies actively searching for Oropesa. FBI Houston and other local, state, & federal agencies will not stop assisting SJSO until he is captured and justice is brought on behalf of the 5 victims.”
The victims, all from Honduras, are Daniel Enrique Laso, 8; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Diana Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; two of the victims were found lying over two children, apparently to shield them from gunfire.
There is no scheduled press conference for updates today as the search for Oropesa continues.
Key Background
At 11:30 p.m. on Friday, neighbors asked Oropesa—who Capers said had been drinking—to stop shooting his rifle. Oropesa allegedly responded that it was his property and he’d do what he wanted. Ring camera footage depicted him approaching the property where the massacre took place carrying a rifle. Oropesa—sometimes spelled Oropeza—is a Mexican citizen and married, and his wife has been cooperating with law enforcement. AP reported that deputies had been to Oropesa’s home at least once prior to this to speak with him about “shooting his gun in the yard,” which can be illegal though it’s unclear if he had ever broken the law.
Tangent
Gov. Greg Abbott drew criticism after tweeting about the mass shooting while referring to the five victims as “illegal immigrants.” Reports since have said that while the victims are confirmed to be from Honduras, there hasn’t been anything said about their immigration status, the Houston Chronicle reported. To quell debates, Capers, fighting back tears, told the press: “My heart is with this 9-year-old little boy. I don’t care if he was here legally. I don’t care if he was here illegally. He was in my county. Five people died in my county.” The child was later confirmed to be 9 years old, not 8.
Further Reading
Texas Mass Shooting: Police Have ‘Zero Leads’ On Suspect Accused Of Killing 5 In ‘Execution-Style’ Shooting (Forbes)
Cleveland mass shooting: Survivors speak, law enforcement expands manhunt after 5 killed (Houston Chronicle)
Neighbors asked a man to stop firing a rifle outside. He then opened fire on them, killing 5 people, a Texas sheriff says (CNN)
Texas mass shooting suspect could be anywhere, sheriff says (AP)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/01/texas-mass-shooting-what-we-know-about-the-at-large-suspect-and-the-search-to-find-him/