A man named Francisco Oropeza shot and killed five people, including an 8-year-old boy, in Texas. The shooting started because of a noise complaint about gunfire. The suspect walked into his neighbour’s house and began shooting. Adults were declared dead at the scene while an eight-year-old died at a hospital. Two women victims used their bodies to shield two young children who survived. Three children found covered in blood in the home were taken to a hospital but found to be uninjured. The victims were shot above the neck at close range – “almost execution style.” Police are using dogs and a drone in the hunt for the suspect, who is believed to be hiding in a nearby forest.
The FBI does not believe everyone at the home were members of a single family. The victims were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8. There have been at least 18 shootings across the US since January 1 that left four or more people dead. There have been at least 174 mass shootings in the US this year, where four or more people were injured or killed.
Texas has confronted multiple mass shootings in recent years, including last year’s attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde; a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019; and a gunman opening fire at a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs in 2017.
