2023 Cleveland, Texas shooting

On April 28, 2023, a mass shooting occurred northwest of Cleveland in San Jacinto County, Texas, United States,[5][6] resulting in the deaths of five people, including a nine-year-old boy.[7] The alleged perpetrator was a neighbor, who was captured on May 2 after a four-day manhunt.[8]

"2023 Cleveland shooting" redirects here. For other shootings in places called Cleveland, see Cleveland shooting (disambiguation).

2023 Cleveland, Texas shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States
LocationSan Jacinto County, Texas, U.S.
DateApril 28, 2023 (2023-04-28)
11:31 p.m. (CDT; UTC–5[1])
Attack type
Mass shooting
WeaponsAR-15 style rifle[1]
Deaths5
Injured0
MotiveNeighbor dispute
Accused
  • Francisco Oropeza[2]
  • or
  • Francisco Oropesa[3][4]

Shooting

The incident took place on April 28, 2023 at approximately 11:31 p.m. CDT, following a call made to the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office in East Texas regarding harassment. At least 10 people were present at the location of the incident,[lower-alpha 1] which was situated 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the town of Cleveland, 45 miles (72 km) northeast of central Houston.[5][1][13]

According to police reports, the suspect was asked by a neighbor, whose baby was trying to sleep, to stop firing his AR-15 rifle in his yard. The suspect allegedly refused, stating that it was his yard. The neighbor then warned the suspect that he would call the police. The suspect subsequently retrieved the rifle from his home, entered the neighbor's residence, and began shooting. Four of the victims died at the scene, while the nine-year-old boy was transported to a hospital by a fire department ambulance, where he was later pronounced dead.[12] Three other minors were found covered in blood but were physically unharmed and were transported to a hospital.[1][10]

The shooting occurred eight days prior to an outlet mall shooting in Allen, Texas, leading to increased scrutiny of gun laws in Texas.

Manhunt

Following the shooting, a manhunt was launched to capture the suspect, who was identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza (born 1985). The authorities discovered a Mexican consulate card and footage from a Ring doorbell camera to identify him.[13] The Houston field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was involved in the search, and a judge issued an arrest warrant for Oropeza with a $5 million bond. The police believed that he had fled the scene on foot or by bicycle. Initially, the search radius was limited to 2-mile (3.2 km)[1] but was later expanded to at least 10 mi (16 km) away.[14] To help in the arrest of the suspect, a reward of $80,000 was offered,[7][15] which increased to $100,000 prior to the suspect being arrested.[16][17]

Initially, an FBI release had incorrect details, including a different spelling of Oropeza's name and a photo of an unrelated person. However, it was later updated with the correct information. Oropeza is a Mexican national who was born and raised in Mexico. According to ABC News, he had been deported from the United States back to Mexico four times between March 2009 and July 2016. Previously, he lived in Montgomery County. Since 2020, Oropeza had been living in Cleveland,[18] where he had a history of shooting outside in his yard. He also had a prior arrest record, mainly for DWI, according to records from the Texas Department of Public Safety.[19]

On May 1, the suspect was briefly spotted on foot near Texas State Highway 105,[17] causing schools in the area to be closed.[20] On May 2, Oropeza was found in Cut and Shoot, Texas, 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Conroe and 18 miles (29 km) away from the scene of the shooting.[8] The authorities found him hiding in a closet underneath someone's laundry in a house associated with one of his family members. They received a tip through the FBI's tip line at 5:15 p.m. CDT, and he was apprehended at 6:30 p.m. CDT.[21] U.S. Marshals, Texas Department of Public Safety, and BORTAC apprehended him.[22]

Shortly after Oropeza's arrest, Oropeza's wife, 53-year-old Divimara Lamar Nava (born August 1970), was taken into custody without incident in connection with the shooting at the arrest scene.[23] Police believe Nava provided Oropeza with food and clothes during the manhunt, as well as allegedly plotting an escape to Mexico with Oropeza.[24][25]

Victims

The five people who died were all Honduran citizens and have been identified as Sonia Argentina Guzmán (25), Diana Velázquez Alvarado (21), Julisa Molina Rivera (31), José Jonathan Casárez (18), and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzmán (9).[7]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott faced criticism for referring to the victims as "illegal immigrants," which was widely perceived as insensitive since authorities had not officially disclosed their immigration status.[26] The husband of one of the victims stated that his wife was a permanent resident of the United States.[27]

See also

Notes
  1. The Sheriff's Office has said that there were 10 people at the home,[9] a relative of one of those at the house said that there were 12 people,[10] the Associated Press has reported 15 people,[11] and the Houston Chronicle has reported 16 people.[12]

References
  1. Haworth, Jon; El-Bawab, Nadine; Charalambous, Peter (April 29, 2023). "5 dead in Texas 'execution-style' shooting, suspect armed with AR-15 is on the loose". ABC News. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  2. Wright, George (April 30, 2023). "Francisco Oropeza: FBI hunt 'armed and dangerous' Texas shooting suspect". BBC News. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  3. "Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Details : Francisco Oropesa". Texas Department of Public Safety. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. Houston Field Office of the FBI [@FBIHouston] (May 2, 2023). "1653581575865397254" (Tweet) – via Twitter. #BREAKING San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and @FBIHouston announce that Francisco Oropesa has been CAPTURED. He was arrested this evening at around 6:45 p.m. at a home in Conroe, TX, after the #FBI received an anonymous tip with his location. #ClevelandTXshooting
  5. Wilson, Lea; Diaz, John; Ford, Brittany; Turner, Sammy; White, Grace (April 29, 2023). "Five people allegedly killed by man in San Jacinto County identified | Search for gunman continues". khou.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. Pisharody, Gokul (April 29, 2023). Kerry, Frances (ed.). "Five dead in Texas shooting, armed suspect on the loose, ABC News reports". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  7. Maxouris, Christina; Yan, Holly; Salahieh, Nouran (April 30, 2023). "200 officers are in a manhunt for the Texas suspect accused of killing his 5 neighbors. Authorities are offering $80,000 for information". CNN. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  8. Evans, Gareth; Debusmann, Bernd Jr (May 3, 2023). "Suspect in Texas neighbor shooting arrested - reports". BBC News. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  9. Razek, Raja; Rose, Andy; Sanchez, Ray (April 29, 2023). "Neighbors asked a man to stop firing a rifle outside. He then opened fire on them, killing 5 people, a Texas sheriff says". CNN. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  10. Jimenez Moya, Maria; Medina, Eduardo; Jiménez, Jesus (April 29, 2023). "Gunman Kills Five People in Texas Home, Authorities Say". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  11. Lozano, Juan A. (May 2, 2023). "Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story". AP News. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  12. "Cleveland Texas Shooting: Suspect still at large, survivors question police response". Houston Chronicle. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  13. "Deputies warned Francisco Oropeza, Texas mass shooting suspect, about shooting from his yard". ABC7 (KGO-TV). April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  14. Lozano, Juan A.; Weber, Paul J. (April 30, 2023). "Texas man kills 5 neighbors after they complained of gunfire". AP News. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  15. Blanco, Andrea. "Texas shootings: Sheriff admits wrong photo of suspect released and 'zero leads' on where 'noisy neighbour' killer is". The Independent. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  16. Galvan, Jaime E.; Choi, Michelle; Iloka, Ugochi; McCord, Cory (May 3, 2023). "Texas mass shooting suspect charged with 5 counts of murder". khou.com. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  17. Edsitty, Charly; Miller, Chaz; Hurtado, Daniela (May 3, 2023). "San Jacinto Co. mass shooting suspect's domestic partner and friend among others arrested in case". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  18. Jacobo, Julia; Garcia, Armando; Barr, Luke; Shapiro, Emily (May 1, 2023). "At-large Texas mass shooting suspect had been deported 4 times: Source". ABC News. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  19. Terry, Christian (April 29, 2023). "Who is Francisco Oropeza? What we know about the suspect accused of 5 murders in San Jacinto County, Texas". KPRC-TV. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  20. "Conroe ISD schools secured as manhunt for Cleveland, Texas shooter continues". Houston Chronicle. April 29, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  21. Campbell, Josh; Lavandera, Ed; Wolfe, Elizabeth (May 2, 2023). "Texas massacre suspect in custody after dayslong manhunt". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  22. Campbell, Josh; Lavandera, Ed; Wolfe, Elizabeth (May 3, 2023). "Texas massacre suspect is arrested after a tip to the FBI, ending dayslong manhunt, officials say". CNN. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  23. Lozano, Juan A.; Merchant, Nomaan (May 3, 2023). "Wife of suspected Texas gunman has been arrested, sheriff says". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  24. Morales, Mark; Lavandera, Ed; Killough, Ashley; Yan, Holly; Campbell, Josh (May 3, 2023). "Texas massacre suspect charged with 5 counts of murder as investigators say his longtime partner gave him food and clothes while on the run". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  25. Baio, Ariana; Marcus, Josh; Sharp, Rachel; Dasgupta, Sravasti (May 5, 2023). "Texas shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa was 'plotting escape to Mexico'". The Independent. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  26. Lee, Lloyd (May 1, 2023). "Gov. Greg Abbott prompts swift rebukes after calling Texas mass shooting victims 'illegal immigrants' in a statement offering condolences to their loved ones". Business Insider. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  27. Baio, Ariana (May 1, 2023). "Gov Gregg Abbott slammed for calling Texas mass shooting victims 'illegal immigrants'". The Independent. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
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