Police announced Sunday that they have been unable to locate a shooter who escaped after killing five people in a small Texas town.
They are now offering a total reward of $80,000, hoping that someone will come forward with information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts.
James Smith, the in-charge special agent for the FBI, stated, “We don’t know where he is. Police were searching every house to find the suspect.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was the suspect, and he was thought to be armed and dangerous after leaving the location on Friday, most likely on foot, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.
He claimed that after the suspect’s neighbors requested him to cease fire, officials expanded their search to 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the incident scene.
While searching a rural area with thick layers of the forest, police discovered clothes and a phone, but tracking dogs lost the scent, according to Capers.
Using a Mexican identity card given to nationals who reside abroad and doorbell camera footage, officials could identify Oropesa. He claimed that authorities also questioned the suspect’s wife.
The AR-15-style rifle that Oropesa is accused of using in the shootings was found by police, but the sheriff added that it was unclear whether he was carrying any other weapons. He claimed that the suspect’s residence had other guns.
Capers remarked on Saturday that “he could be anywhere right now.”
The attack occurred on a street where some locals claim neighbors lived close to Cleveland, north of Houston.
Sunday was a considerably more sedate day. The perimeter of the victim’s residence had been cleared of police crime scene tape. Some visitors came by to leave floral tributes.
Several Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, an FBI agent, and other law enforcement personnel were observed wandering through the area, knocking on doors, and attempting to communicate with residents.
The agent and the officers declined to discuss their actions.
A red truck carrying a travel trailer sped through the area as the troopers spoke to occupants at one home. Do you mind if I check inside the truck? A trooper questioned the driver after stopping the vehicle.”
The shooting was the most recent instance of gun violence in the United States this year, which has seen a record number of mass shootings, some of which also employed semiautomatic weapons.
According to Capers, ten individuals were in the house, some of whom had only moved in earlier this week, but no one else was hurt.
He claimed that two victims were discovered in a bedroom, lying over two kids in what appeared to be an effort to protect them.
According to Capers, three kids were found in the house covered in blood; they were rushed to a hospital but were later found to be unharmed.
According to FBI spokesperson Christina Garza, investigators do not believe the house’s people were single-family members. Sonia Argentina Guzman, age 25, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, age 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, age 31, Jose Jonathan Casarez, age 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, age 8, were the victims.
According to Capers, the altercation started when some neighbors approached a fence and asked the suspect to stop firing shots.
He claimed that in response, the suspect informed them that it was his property. He was seen approaching the front door while carrying a firearm on the doorbell footage.
The incident occurred on a country road with many potholes, single-story residences on 1-acre lots, and a dense forest of trees.
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