How the Texas mass shooting suspect accused of killing 5 was found after a four-day manhunt

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, left, and FBI assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul speak to the media during a news conference announcing the arrest of murder suspect Francisco Oropeza on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in Cleveland, Texas. Law enforcement officials captured Oropeza without incident on Tuesday night at a home near Houston, ending a four-day manhunt for a suspect who police believe fled after a mass shooting that left five dead.

The suspect in a mass shooting in Texas that left five people dead — including a 9-year-old — was arrested after a four-day manhunt.

Francisco Oropesa was found in a home near the town of Cut and Shoot, Texas, just 20 miles from Cleveland, where the shooting occurred, The Associated Press reported.

Oropesa, a 38-year-old immigrant from Mexico who has been deported from the U.S. four times since 2009, is accused of killing five people after his neighbors asked him to stop shooting his gun in his yard Friday night. The suspect then allegedly entered his neighbor’s home with a rifle, shooting and killing five.

How Francisco Oropesa was caught

A manhunt ensued following the shooting, with authorities stating Sunday that they had “zero leads” at that point, the Deseret News reported.

On Tuesday, a tip was submitted to the FBI’s tip line at 5:15 p.m., FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul said, per CNN. Oropesa was arrested at 6:30 p.m.

In a press conference Tuesday night, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropesa was “caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry” in a house just 20 miles from his home in Cleveland, Texas.

Authorities did not state whether he knew the people whose house he was hiding in. However, a law enforcement source told CNN that “law enforcement officials tracked Oropesa’s wife to a home near Cut and Shoot that was associated with one of his family members.”

What happens next

Oropesa was charged with five counts of murder, with bond set at $5 million.

The families of the victims “can rest easy now, because he is behind bars,” Capers said, per AP. “He will live out his life behind bars for killing those five.”

Authorities are investigating if the suspect had any help in hiding, San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon told CNN.