Texas shooting: 5 dead, suspect still on run, say police
What's the story
Law enforcement officers in Texas are searching for a man who reportedly shot five people to death after being asked to stop firing his rifle, reported NBC. The accused, 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, is suspected of opening fire on the neighbors after being told to stop shooting an AR-15-style rifle on Friday because it was keeping a baby awake. The victims included an eight-year-old boy.
Details
Over 200 law enforcement officials looking for Oropesa: Sheriff Capers
According to the news agency Reuters, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers revealed that more than 200 law enforcement officials were going door-to-door searching for the suspect or any leads on how to track him down. Furthermore, officials are offering an $80,000 reward for providing details that will result in the arrest of the accused man.
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Sheriff Capers reveals details on shooting
Capers said on Saturday that Oropesa allegedly stepped out of his home on Friday night and began shooting in his yard, at which point a number of the victims came out and asked him to stop. After both parties returned indoors, the 38-year-old "topped off his magazine and walked down his driveway" and then "into the people's house and started shooting," said Capers.
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All 5 victims hail from Honduras: Police
As per the police, all five victims were from Honduras and have been identified as 25-year-old Sonia Argentina Guzman; 21-year-old Diana Velazquez Alvarado; 31-year-old Julisa Molina Rivera; 18-year-old Jose Jonathan Casarez; and eight-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso. The victims were all believed to be living in the same house but were not members of a single family, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said.
Further information
Right now, we have zero leads: FBI official
"We consider him armed and dangerous. He is out there, and he's a threat to the community," said FBI Houston Special Agent In Charge James Smith. He added that authorities were "running into dead ends" in their hunt and urged the public to share any relevant information with the police. "Right now, we have zero leads of him," Smith stated.
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Over 176 mass shootings reported in US so far: GVA
Mass shootings have been a major problem in the United States (US), with over 176 cases reported so far in 2023. This is also the most at this point in a year since at least 2016, as per Gun Violence Archive (GVA). GVA defines a "mass shooting" as an incident in which four or more people are killed or injured, excluding the attacker.