Late Friday night, a tragic incident occurred at a residence in Cleveland, Texas, which is approximately 45 miles northeast of Houston.
The incident involved a man Francisco Oropeza who had been asked to stop shooting in his yard because of the noise, but instead fatally shot at least five people, including an 8-year-old boy, according to authorities.
The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office reported that four people were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fifth person succumbed to their injuries at a hospital. This unfortunate event has left the community grieving and authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Who is Francisco Oropeza
According to Houston’s ABC station KTRK, police are conducting a manhunt for the suspect, who has been identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza.
An arrest warrant with $5 million bail has been issued for Oropeza, and authorities believe he may have left the scene on foot or by bicycle and is currently within a two-mile radius.
The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office received a call about harassment in Cleveland, a city about 55 miles north of Houston, at 11:31 p.m. on Friday, which led up to the incident.
A family was found shot “execution style” in their home, according to Sheriff Greg Capers. The suspect, who remains on the run, was reportedly asked to stop firing his gun as neighbors tried to put a baby to sleep. The shooting occurred in Cleveland, a town about 45 miles north of Houston.
Sheriff Capers identified the weapon used as an AR-style rifle. A significant police presence remains at the scene as authorities continue to search for the suspect.
The Mexican male subject has been known to shoot his [gun] out in the front yard which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard,” the sheriff told reporters
More than 170 mass shooting in the US this year
The shooting in Cleveland, Texas, is just one of 174 mass shootings that have occurred in the United States this year, according to the Archive of Gun Violence. These shootings are defined as incidents that injure or kill four or more people, not including the shooter.
The prevalence of these events is a constant source of fear and concern for Americans who worry about becoming victims of gun violence in places as common as their own homes.
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