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Mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas; manhunt underway: What we know

Authorities are searching for a man accused of fatally shooting five people Friday in Cleveland, Texas, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office.

Here is what we know based on information from authorities and media reports:

The shooting

The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office posted an alert shortly before 4:30 a.m. Saturday about a shooting on its Facebook page.

About two hours later, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers shared a post on Facebook stating that authorities were investigating a “mass shooter incident” in the 100 block of Walters Road in Cleveland, Texas.

Crime in The NewsCleveland is nearly 50 miles northwest of Houston. Its population is about 8,000, according to 2021 U.S. Census estimates.

Deputies were on their way to respond to a harassment complaint in the area when multiple 911 callers reported an active shooting at the same location, Capers wrote.

Authorities found multiple people who had been shot, at least four of whom died at the location, he added. An 8-year-old child reportedly died at a hospital.

The names of the five slain are Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Daniel Enrique Laso, 8, according to The Associated Press.

Investigators believe the gunman, 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, left the location, Capers wrote.

The sheriff’s office has said the name of the suspect’s last name is spelled “Oropeza.” FBI Houston on Sunday tweeted that authorities are using a different spelling — Oropesa — to “better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems.”

The shooting occurred after one of Oropesa’s neighbors asked him to stop firing his gun in his yard, The AP reported.

Manhunt for Francisco Oropesa

The San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office has accused Francisco Oropesa, 38, of the Friday shooting. As of late Sunday afternoon, he was still at large. A judge has issued an arrest warrant for Oropesa, and has assigned a $5 million bond, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.

The sheriff’s office authorities have not found Oropesa despite an “extensive manhunt.”

Oropesa is considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff’s office said, warning people against trying to approach or apprehend him.

Capers told The AP on Saturday the search area for Oropesa is as far as 20 miles from where the shooting occurred. Some items, including clothes and a phone, have been found by investigators, the news outlet reported. Investigators have also found an AR-15-style rifle that is believed to have been used in the shooting.

Deputies had spoken to Oropesa about “shooting his gun in the yard” in a previous encounter, the news outlet reported.

More than 250 law enforcement officers are involved in the search for Oropesa, FBI Houston said in a tweet Sunday afternoon.

“FBI Houston and other local, state, & federal agencies will not stop assisting SJSO until he is captured and justice is brought on behalf of the 5 victims,” FBI Houston tweeted.

FBI Houston has also announced an $80,000 reward for information leading to Oropesa’s arrest.

An argument turned deadly

Capers told The AP 10 people were inside the house when the shooting occurred, but no one else was injured. He also said all of the victims are believed to be of Honduran descent. An FBI spokesperson told the news outlet that not all of the people at the home are believed to be part of the same family.

One of the people who live at the house has video showing Oropesa walking up to the house with a rifle, according to The AP.

In an interview with NBC News, Capers said the victims were killed “execution style.”

Capers told CNN that one of the victims asked Oropesa to stop firing his gun in the yard because they had a “young baby that is trying to go sleep.”

The San Jacinto Democratic Party held a vigil to honor the five killed in the shooting, reported.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Francisco Oropesa is asked to call the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office at 936-653-4367. They can also submit tips by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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