News of the shooting rapidly spread across the country in the wake of weeks of senseless gun violence. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and the Houston Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Twitter that they have launched a manhunt for Oropeza that continues today. He is considered armed and dangerous, and the community is on high alert, reportedly anxious the alleged killer could still be in the area.
The incident began Saturday evening with Oropeza shooting a round of bullets from an AR-15 rifle from his front porch, according to ABC 13. Garcia told the news outlet, via a translator, that he and his wife, 25-year-old Sonia Argentina Guzmán Taibot, had guests over and their 1-month-old was trying to sleep while Oropeza practiced shooting outside. “We asked him to be quiet ’cause my baby was scared,” Garcia said, according to ABC 13.
He asked the gunman to stop, and Oropeza reportedly snapped. Garcia said he “never thought” his neighbor would shoot. “He went room to room, looking for people,” Garcia said, adding that he had never had any problems with Oropeza prior to the shooting.
A man who survived the #clevelandtexas shooting told me how he saw the gunman shoot his sister, nephew & other relatives & he pulled his wife & 6 mo old into a closet. He left Honduras 5 yrs ago to escape gang violence & found himself victim of America’s gun epidemic @nytimes pic.twitter.com/Eid72yj5LT
— Edgar Sandoval 🗽 (@edjsandoval) April 30, 2023
After Garcia told Oropeza to stop shooting, he allegedly stormed his home and shot Talbot first. The gunman proceeded to go around the house, continuing to shoot.
“He couldn’t catch up to me. The bullets were hitting (everywhere),” Garcia said. Garcia successfully got away from the gunman, who escaped before police arrived about 11:30 p.m. “I never had a problem with him. I can’t believe what he did,” Garcia said.
In addition to his wife, victims included Garcia’s son, Daniel Enrique Laso, 8; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, who all died of gunshot wounds, NBC News reported. They had all been shot in the head “execution style,” Capers said.
During the briefing, The sheriff said that in addition to Laso, three other children were in the home at the time of the shooting. They were reportedly covered in the blood of the adult women who laid across them trying to protect them from gunfire. Capers said those children are safe and with family.
Laso’s school, Northside Elementary, held a candlelight vigil for the slain child, and friends of Garcia have set up a GoFundMe page to help his family transport his wife and son back to the family’s native country of Honduras for burial.
At this point, there are no leads in Oropeza’s disappearance. James Smith, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Houston office, told the media they don’t know where Oropeza is, and if they did, he would be in custody. He explained that law enforcement created the reward as an incentive for someone to come forward.
“I pretty much can guarantee you; he’s contacted some of his friends. We just don’t know what friends they are. And that’s what we need from the public, any type of information. Right now, we’re just running into dead ends,” Smith explained in a press conference, per ABC 13.
There are over 250 law enforcement officers from over a dozen agencies actively searching for Oropesa.
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. #ClevelandTXShooting pic.twitter.com/g0upaVp0cz
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) April 30, 2023
During the same press conference, Capers said officers are going door to door to determine if Oropeza is still in the area and that authorities have been openly communicating with his wife throughout the investigation.
ABC 13 reported that police believe Oropeza escaped on foot or by bicycle. Tracking dogs pursued his scent but eventually lost it. Oropeza is considered armed and dangerous, and law enforcement said not to approach him. Instead, anyone who thinks they’ve seen him should contact the police immediately. Authorities ask anyone with information to call the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office at 936-653-4367 or the FBI at 1-800-FBI-TIPS.