What we know about the Cleveland, Texas, mass shooting so far

Hannah Murdock
·3 min read
13
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith speaks during a news conference, Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Cleveland, Texas. The search for a Texas man who allegedly shot his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing off rounds in his yard stretched into a second day Sunday, with authorities saying the man could be anywhere by now. The suspect fled after the shooting Friday night that left five people dead, including a young boy.

The manhunt for the suspect in a mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, that left five people dead — including a 9-year-old — has entered its fourth day.

In a press conference Sunday, authorities stated that they have “zero leads” in the manhunt so far, The Associated Press reported.

As the manhunt continues, U.S. border patrol officers are on the lookout for the suspect, Francisco Oropesa, “in case he attempts to flee into Mexico,” a law enforcement source told CNN.

What happened in the Cleveland, Texas, mass shooting?

On Friday night, the suspect was asked by the neighbors to stop shooting his gun in his front yard, to which he responded, “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard,” according to CNN.

Footage from a doorbell camera shows the suspect entering his neighbor’s home with a rifle, allegedly shooting and killing five people.

The victims were identified as:

  • Sonia Argentina Gúzman, 25.

  • Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21.

  • Julisa Molina Rivera, 31.

  • José Jonathan Cásarez, 18.

  • Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 9.

All five of the victims were Honduran, Wilson Paz, director general of migrant protection for Honduras, told CNN.

Who is the suspect in the Cleveland, Texas, mass shooting?

The suspect in the shooting was identified by authorities as 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa. Authorities originally spelled his last name “Oropeza,” but updated the spelling to “better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems,” FBI Houston tweeted.

Oropesa is a Mexican national who has been deported from the U.S. four times since 2009, The Associated Press reported.

What we know about the manhunt for the suspected killer

A massive police search is currently underway for Oropesa, but authorities have run into a dead end with no leads in the search.

“I can tell you right now, we have zero leads,” James Smith, the FBI special agent in charge, said Sunday, per AP.

Smith announced that there is an $80,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot offered a $50,000 reward for his capture, while other counties have offered $5,000 and the FBI offered $25,000, totaling $80,000.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot faces backlash

Abbott faced backlash after he referred to the the victims as “illegal immigrants” in his statement announcing a reward, according to The Independent.

Immigrant rights activist Carlos Espina stated that the husband of Velázquez Alvarado told him that she was a permanent resident and posted a photo of her ID on Twitter.

“We’ve since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally,” Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze stated, perThe Washington Post. “We regret if the information was incorrect and detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal.”