Cleveland, Texas, shooting: ‘We have zero leads,’ FBI says; $80K reward offered

CLEVELAND, Texas — Five people, including an 8-year-old, were fatally shot in a Texas home late Friday by a man armed with an AR-15 style rifle, authorities said.

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According to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened in Cleveland, a small town about 55 miles north of Houston, KPRC-TV reported.

‘We have zero leads’

Update 4:20 p.m. EDT April 30: Authorities continue to search for 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, the man accused of killing five people at a home in Cleveland, Texas.

An $80,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Oropesa’s arrest, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said during a Sunday news conference. The FBI is contributing $25,000 to that total, with the sheriff’s office putting up $55,000.

Capers said that more than 250 law enforcement officers are involved in the search for Oropesa.

“Right now, we have zero leads,” James Smith, FBI Houston Special Agent in charge, told reporters.

Capers said there would be a vigil later Sunday for the youngest victim of the shooting, 8-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso.

“My heart is with this little 8-year-old boy,” Capers said, pausing as his voice caught momentarily. “I don’t care if he was here legally or if he was here illegally. He was in my county.

“He was one of my people.”

FBI releases, then retracts photo of suspect

Update 1:15 p.m. EDT April 30: The FBI on Sunday released what was believed to be an updated photograph of 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, the man accused of killing five people at a home in Cleveland, Texas. The FBI later retracted the image because it was the wrong photo.

However, the photo released was not of the correct suspect, according to Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston field office.

The FBI also corrected the spelling of the suspect, who was originally identified as “Oropeza,” according to the Houston Chronicle.

A manhunt continues for Oropesa, who opened fire at neighbors who had asked him to stop shooting his weapon because a child was trying to sleep, KHOU-TV reported.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters at a news conference on Saturday that there were 10 people in the house. However, there were no other injuries. Capers said that two of the victims were discovered inside the house laying over two children in an apparent effort to shield them from gunfire.

Victims identified

Update 7:03 p.m. EDT April 29: During a news conference, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers identified the five victims who were shot, execution style, Friday night in Cleveland, Texas:

• Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25;
• Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21;
• Julisa Molina Rivera, 31;
• Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18;
• Daniel Enrique Laso, 8.

Suspect still at large

Update 6:57 p.m. EDT April 29: Officials with the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office and an agent from FBI Houston provided an update, stating that 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa was still at large.

Sheriff Greg Capers added that the FBI has become the lead investigator in the case.

“He is a threat to the community,” James Smith, FBI Houston Special Agent in charge, said at a news conference on Saturday evening.

Capers said that deputies originally believed they had Oropesa cornered but he has since gotten away.

“He could be anywhere now,” Capers said. “We believe he’s on foot but we just don’t know.”

Capers said that Oropesa has ditched the cellphone he used to speak with officers and had changed his clothing. The sheriff said that Oropesa was armed and dangerous.

Update 6:24 p.m. EDT April 29: Officials have yet to release the names of the victims, but a family member told KTRK-TV that the 8-year-old was Daniel Lazo.

Update 5:15 p.m. EDT April 29: According to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, the gunman accused of killing at least five people at a home in the small town of Cleveland is believed to be cornered, KHOU-TV reported.

Capers did not elaborate, but the sheriff’s office has scheduled a news conference for later Saturday afternoon.

Investigators told KTRK-TV that law enforcement officials had made contact with Francisco Oropesa.

Meanwhile, officials with the FBI office in Houston said the agency is assisting in the search for Oropesa.

Update 10:57 a.m. EDT April 29: Authorities charged Francisco Oropesa, 38, with five counts of murder, Sheriff Greg Capers told The Washington Post. Oropesa is still at large, Capers said.

The suspect was the neighbor of the victims and went to their home after they asked him to stop shooting an AR-15-style rifle in his front yard because of the noise, Capers told the newspaper.

Original report: Deputies responded to a residence at about 11:31 p.m. CDT, according to ABC News.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told KHOU-TV that the victims were shot “execution style” inside the residence. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, while a the 8-year-old died at an area hospital, according to the television station.

Three other people were taken to an area hospital with injuries, KHOU reported. Their conditions were unknown.

Capers told reporters that the victims were from Honduras. The sheriff did not identify the victims.

The suspect, who has not been apprehended, is described as possessing an AR-15 style rifle and possibly intoxicated, ABC News reported.

“The Mexican male subject, he has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, according to ABC News.

At least 10 people were in the residence when police arrived at the scene, the news outlet reported. The victims ranged in age from 8 years old to 40 years old, according to the sheriff’s office.

Capers said the deceased victims included one man and three women. The sheriff did not know the gender of the child.

It is unclear what led to the shooting, although Capers characterized the incident as “a harassment.” An investigation is ongoing.