According to police in Texas, a man is suspected of killing five of his neighbours after a dispute over his practice shooting with a semi-automatic weapon nearby. All of the victims were from Honduras, including an eight-year-old child. The shooting took place in the small town of Cleveland in San Jacinto County, and two women were found lying on top of two surviving children. The victims were shot in the head, and the suspect, Francisco Oropez, a 38-year-old Mexican national, has been charged with five counts of murder. He is currently on the run and is believed to be armed, with police using dogs and a drone to search for him in a nearby forest.
The sheriff’s office in Texas received a call about “harassment” on Friday night, and investigators believe that the victims had asked the suspect, Francisco Oropez, to stop shooting as they were trying to put a baby to sleep. Oropez, who had been drinking, refused and said he could shoot in his front yard if he wanted to. He later walked down his driveway, armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, and entered the victims’ house, where he opened fire.
A total of 10 people were present at the time, and the victims were shot in the head, almost execution-style. The gunman is still on the run, and a drone and dogs are being used in the search. Neighbors reported hearing gunfire, which was a regular occurrence, and one resident said she thought the sound was just another normal day until she heard about the shooting.
This shooting in Texas took place shortly after two other incidents involving firearms in the US. In one incident, nine people were injured at a party for teenagers in western Texas, while in another, four young people were killed at a 16th birthday party in Alabama. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearm incidents are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States.
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