Francisco Oropeza has been identified as the suspect in the San Jacinto, Texas mass shooting on Saturday. He is 38 years old and originally from Mexico.
Five people were killed in the shooting, including an eight-year-old. Police said that they were shot in ‘almost execution style.’
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A search operation is underway for the Oropeza. The FBI’s Houston Field Office is also assisting in the ongoing operation, reported ABC News. Investigators are using scent-tracking dogs and drones to find the suspect. According to authorities, the suspect left by walking or on a bicycle. They believe Oropeza fled the county.
An arrest warrant was issued for Oropeza and a judge assigned a $5 million bond. He faces five counts of murder.
The shooting occurred at 11:30 pm on Friday when police officers from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s office received a complaint about harassment in the town of Cleveland, Texas, about 55 miles north of Houston.
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Oropeza is accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors in Cleveland after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because a baby was trying to sleep. He was armed with an AR-style rifle when he allegedly went to the home on Walters Road in the Trails End area around 11:30 pm on April 29 and opened fire.
According to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, four of the victims were found dead inside the house. The fifth victim, an 8-year-old child, died at a hospital during treatment.
The victims were all from Honduras and in age from 8 to 40, Sheriff Greg Capers said. Three of the deceased were females and two were males. The female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two surviving children. Three minors were discovered uninjured, but soaked in blood. They were admitted to a local hospital.
