Five people, including an eight-year-old child, were tragically killed in a shooting at a home in Cleveland, Texas when a man went next door with an AR-style rifle and began shooting his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard (ABC News, CBS News). The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, carried out the execution-style shooting with an AR-15 style rifle (CNN, MSNBC News).
A massive manhunt is currently underway, with authorities stating they have “zero leads” in tracking down Oropeza (NBC News). In addition to the eight-year-old victim, four other neighbors were killed in the shooting (NPR, USA Today). San Jacinto County officials said that the suspect, a Mexican national, began his deadly rampage after a neighbor approached him to request that he stop firing rounds in his yard (Fox News).
The search for the alleged shooter is intensifying, as authorities and community members alike are left in fear (KXAN). One sheriff has stated that the suspect “could be anywhere” (Reuters). As the manhunt for Oropeza continues, this devastating incident serves as a sobering reminder of the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in the United States.
