US gunman who killed five neighbors found hiding 17 miles away

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 May 2023 09:10

According to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, the suspected shooter, whom he called a "coward," was discovered cowering in a closet behind a mountain of clothes.

Police officers at the scene of a mass shooting in Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, Texas, US, May 25, 2022. (Reuters)

In Texas, the alleged shooter who is accused of killing five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old, was captured "without incident," according to law enforcement authorities late Tuesday.

Francisco Oropeza (Oropesa), 38, is charged with murdering his neighbors, one of whom is a child, after he was asked to stop firing his rifle outdoors.

Oropeza allegedly opened fire on the family after they asked him to stop firing his gun since the baby was trying to sleep.

The mass shooter was discovered at Cut and Shoot, Texas, which is 17 miles west of the scene of last Friday's killings. He will be jailed on a $5 million bail, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriff's office's release.

According to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, the suspected shooter, whom he called a "coward," was discovered cowering in a closet behind a mountain of clothes. Officials said that Oropeza was apprehended at around 6:30 p.m. local time, following a tip submitted to an FBI contact line at around 5:15 p.m.

Officials had announced an $80,000 prize for information leading to Oropeza's whereabouts.

Wilson Garcia, the owner of the house where the incident occurred on Friday, said that Oropeza opened fire on his property, killing his wife and his 9-year-old kid.

Garcia recalled that he called emergency hotline 911 five times before Oropeza came to their home.

In order to get ready for a church retreat, sixteen members of Garcia's family were home at the time. Three kids were discovered safe after being protected by the ladies in the family, who used their bodies to shield them from gunfire.

The victims include a 9-year-old kid, an 18-year-old male, and three women, all between the ages of 21 and 31.

Governor Greg Abbott said that Oropeza had been deported from the US four times.

According to San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon, his wife requested a protection order against him last year after he threatened and physically abused her. Authorities are currently looking into his acquisition of an AR-15-style weapon.

More mass shootings in the US than days thus far in 2023: DHS chief

There have been more mass shootings in 2023 in the United States than there have been days, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on April 21.

"We have had more mass shootings in this country in 2023 than we have days of the year," Mayorkas said at the Council of Foreign Relations.

More and more people are falling victim to mass shootings throughout the country, the DHS chief revealed.

According to Mayorkas, it is highly important for law enforcement and local communities to cooperate to prevent massacres.

The authorities have to fund and equip communities so they can determine in a timely manner whether a person is planning to take the path of violence, the secretary said.

The number of US children and teens killed by gunfire witnessed a drastic increase between 2019 and 2021, a publication by Pew Research Center revealed.