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A man is accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors, including an 8-year-old child, in their Cleveland, Texas, home after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard, authorities said.
The suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropez, 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 p.m. Friday and opened fire, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities are searching for the suspect, who they believe fled the country.
Four of the victims were found dead inside the house, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post on Saturday. The child died at a hospital.
Authorities said deputies were called to the home in reference to a harassment complaint.
“While enroute, the communications center received multiple 911 calls of an active shooter incident at the dispatch location,” the department said.
Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters that the deceased victims were all from Honduras and ranged in age from 8 to 40. They were located in the living room, a bedroom and by the front door of the home.
Three juveniles were taken to the hospital. Sheriff Capers said they were “covered in blood” but were not injured.
What to know about the Texas shooting
- The shooting occurred at a home in Cleveland, Texas, around 11:30 p.m. Friday
- Ten people were in the house. Five have died including an 8-year-old child
- The suspect used an AR-style rifle in the shooting and is believed to have fled the county
He told reporters that two women killed in the bedroom were lying over some of the surviving children.
Two others in the home were evaluated on scene and released, the sheriff’s office said.
An arrest warrant was issued for the suspect, who is a Mexican national, and a judge assigned a $5 million bond. He faces five counts of murder.
Sheriff Capers told reporters that the suspect was known to fire his gun in the front yard of his home. Shortly before the shooting, one of the victims came outside and told the suspect that their baby was trying to sleep, he told a local ABC 13 reporter.
“The man said I’ll shoot out in my front yard, do what I want to in my own residence,” Capers said.
The Texas Rangers were on scene to assist with the investigation.
The San Jacinto County Democratic Party said it was canceling a pre-planned annual fundraiser on Saturday night in wake of the shooting and would instead hold a prayer vigil for the victims.
“San Jacinto County is devastated by the horrific events that happened last night,” John Michael Adams, Chair of the San Jacinto County Democratic Party, said in a statement. “We’ve decided that it no longer made sense to hold our annual fundraiser tonight, but still felt we needed to come together as a community — however we could — and send our love and prayers to the loved ones of the victims of this senseless shooting.”
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