Texas shooting - live: Schools on lockdown after possible sighting of Cleveland suspect

Schools were locked down on Monday afternoon as the hunt continued for Texas shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa continued.

The suspected shooter is still at large more than two days after he allegedly murdered five people, including an eight-year-old boy, over a noise complaint.

Five victims – Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, her eight-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and Josué Jonatán Cáceres, 18 – were killed in the attack.

Mr Oropesa, who is originally from Mexico, went on the run. He is considered armed and dangerous and police admitted on Sunday that they have “zero leads” as to his whereabouts.

On Sunday, Texas governor Greg Abbott finally addressed the latest incident of gun violence in his state – in a statement where he announced his office was contributing a $50,000 reward to catch the suspect and also labelled the victims “illegal immigrants”.

The statement sparked an instant backlash with social media users quickly correcting him with the words “people”.

Key Points

• Search widens for suspect as ‘zero leads’ after shooting

• Five dead in Texas shooting as armed suspect on the loose

• Victims in deadly Texas shooting named as survivor recounts confronting gunman with machete

• Texas mass shooting suspect could be anywhere, sheriff says

• What do we know about the suspect?

Heroic mother confronted Texas gunman at door after calling 911 five times before horror mass shooting

07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

A mother gunned down in a mass shooting in Texas on Friday was killed when she heroically confronted the gunman at the doorway to her home after the family had called 911 five times to report the suspect.

Wilson Garcia spoke out on Sunday night after his wife Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, and nine-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman were among the five innocent victims killed in the shocking massacre in Cleveland, Texas.

Mr Garcia said that the shooting unfolded when the family asked suspect Francisco Oropesa to stop firing his gun so close to their home because the children were trying to sleep.

Mr Oropesa refused, saying he was on his property so could do what he wanted. As the shooting continued, the family called 911 to report Mr Oropesa.

Around 10 to 20 minutes later, Mr Garcia said he saw the suspect running towards his house while reloading his AR-15-style rifle with ammunition.

He said he urged his wife to get inside away from the gunman but she refused – and went to confront Mr Oropesa instead.

“I told my wife, ‘Get inside. This man has loaded his weapon,’” said Mr Garcia, according to The Associated Press.

“My wife told me to go inside because ‘He won’t fire at me, I’m a woman.’”

Guzman was wrong and she became the first victim shot and killed in the horror attack that has sent shockwaves across the country.

Texas shooting suspect found hiding in closet under laundry

06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The gunman accused of shooting dead five neighbours in Texas after they made a noise complaint against him has been captured hiding in a closet under laundry after four days on the run.

Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot, Texas, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday evening.

Authorities said that Mr Oropesa was found hiding under laundry in a closet at his sister’s house that had been previously searched following a fresh tip to an FBI tip line, reported The Houston Chronicle.

Graeme Massie reports:

Texas shooting suspect found hiding in closet under laundry days after five killed

Gun safety advocates express horror at mass shooting in Texas

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Gun safety advocates have decried the latest deadly mass shooting in the US, which left five people dead on Friday night.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Gun safety advocates express horror at mass shooting in Texas

9-year-old victim was friends with suspected shooter’s son, report says

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, the nine-year-old boy who was shot dead by his neighbour in a horrific mass shooting on Friday, was friendly with the suspected shooter’s son, according to a report from NBC News.

According to Daniel’s uncle, Ramiro Guzman, he would ride bikes with the son of Francisco Oropesa - the suspected shooter.

“My nephew, he always would take his bicycle to where the school bus would stop,” Mr Guzman said. “Sometimes they went together, my nephew and his child.”

“They were like friends. And he killed him,” Mr Guzman told NBC News.

FBI releases mugshot of Francisco Oropesa

03:45 , Josh Marcus

The FBI has released jailhouse photos of Francisco Oropesa, a Texas man accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbours.

Mr Oropesa, who has been charged with five counts of murder, was found by police hiding under laundry in a closet thanks to an anonymous tip, according to officials.

Multiple agencies involved in arrest of fugitive gunman

03:31 , Josh Marcus

Multiple law enforcement agencies were reportedly involved in the capture Tuesday evening of Francisco Oropesa, a Texas man accused of killing five of his neighbours on Friday.

US Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the US Border Patrol all were part of the operation that captured the 38-year-old, ABC 13 reports.

Police investigating how Oropesa bought assault rifle

03:18 , Josh Marcus

Francisco Oropesa, a Texas man who was wanted for allegedly shooting five people in the city of Cleveland on Friday, may have illegally bought an assault rifle used in the shootings.

Greg Capers, sheriff of San Jacinto County, said officials are investigating how the 38-year-old was able to obtain such a weapon given the man’s previous brushes with law enforcement, including being deported four times.

The sheriff said he thought the man may have been able to “buy it from somebody else on the street.”

Police found Oropesa by surveilling his wife

03:15 , Josh Marcus

New details have emerged in the arrest of Francisco Oropesa, who was wanted for allegedly shooting five people in the city of Cleveland, Texas, on Friday.

Police located the 38-year-old after a multi-day search by surveilling his phone then his wife.

Officers tracked the woman to a home near Cut and Shoot, Texas, that was associated with a family member, and Texas Department of Public Safety tactical officers entered the building, finding Mr Oropesa in a closet, CNN reports.

Police celebrate capture of ‘coward’ Francisco Oropesa

03:09 , Josh Marcus

Law enforcement agents celebrated on Tuesday evening that police have located and arrested Francisco Oropesa, who was wanted for shooting five people on Friday.

“He was caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry,” Greg Capers, sheriff of San Jacinto County, said during a press conference on Tuesday evening. “They effectively made the arrest. He is uninjured.”

FBI special agent Jimmy Paul said a tip to federal authorities helped police capture the alleged gunman.

Houston FBI say over 200 law enforcement were looking for suspect

03:00 , Josh Marcus

“There are over 250 law enforcement officers from over a dozen agencies actively searching for Oropesa,” Houston FBI tweeted.

Francisco Oropesa charged with first-degree murder

02:50 , Josh Marcus

Following an investigation where leads seemed to be few and far between, the prosecution of Francisco Oropesa is now moving swiftly following his arrest on Tuesday.

On Tuesday evening, the 38-year-old was moved to the Montgomery County, Texas, jail and charged with first-degree murder, NBC News reports.

Neighbour describes regular ‘chaotic’ gunfire in area where Francisco Oropesa arrested

02:40 , Josh Marcus

The mass shooting of five people in the city of Cleveland, Texas, is part of a larger issue, according to community members.

One local resident told ABC 13 that random gunfire is a regular part of life in Cut and Shoot Texas, the area where Mr Oropesa was arrested on Tuesday evening.

“It’s chaotic,” the man told a local news crew. “Lack of law support from the sherif’s department, almost zero presence back here. If we do get something back here, nothing’s done about it.”

The man said he wants “responsible gun owners” and “good neighbours.”

VIDEO: Clip allegedly shows arrest of gunman

02:22 , Josh Marcus

Early, unverified images are emerging from the Cleveland, Texas, area of the alleged arrest of Francisco Oropesa, who’s accused of killing five people in a mass shooting on Friday against his neighbours.

In one video shared on social media, a man can be seen in handcuffs being escorted by armoured police officers.

Texas shooting suspect in custody four days after five people killed over noise complaint

02:11 , Josh Marcus

The gunman accused of shooting dead five neighbours in Texas after they made a noise complaint against him has finally been captured after four days on the run, says an official.

Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot, Texas, on Tuesday according to San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon.

The FBI has announced a press conference for Tuesday evening where they are expected to officially confirm the arrest.

The suspect was on the run since the horrific attack in Cleveland, Texas, on Friday night and earlier in the day authorities had intensified their search near the border with Mexico.

Graeme Massie is following the details for The Independent.

Texas shooting suspect in custody four days after five people killed over complaint

ICYMI: Texas gunman kills five neighbours including child, 9, after noise complaint, authorities say

02:00 , Ariana Baio

A Texas man killed five people, including a nine-year-old child.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the fifth died at a hospital in Cleveland, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office said early Saturday.

The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, shot his neighbours with an AR-15 style rifle after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said on Saturday.

The Independent reports:

Texas gunman kills five neighbours over complaint of him shooting in yard, police say

Texas shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa had been deported from US four times

01:00 , Ariana Baio

Francisco Oropesa, the man accused of fatally shooting five people including a nine-year-old boy in Cleveland, Texas this past weekend has been deported from the US four times, according to a report from CNN.

Mr Oropesa, allegedly an undocumented immigrant from Mexico according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office, had been apprehended and removed from the US several times, according to an unnamed source within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to the source, Mr Oropesa, whose full name is reportedly Francisco Oropesa Perez-Torres, was first removed by an immigration judge in March 2009.

Mr Oropesa reentered the United States but was removed again in September 2009, January 2012 and July 2016, according to the report.

Ariana Baio reports:

Texas shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa had been deported from US four times

Victim’s bodies to be repatriated to Honduras

00:00 , Ariana Baio

The Honduran Foreign Ministry has said that the bodies of the Honduran nationals killed in the Cleveland mass shooting will be repatriated to the country.

“The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the loss of these valuable lives and accompanies all their loved ones in their pain,” the statement said.

“We demand that the pertinent authorities arrest the perpetrator of this terrible event and apply the full weight of the law.”

How many mass shootings have there been in 2023?

23:00 , Ariana Baio

This year is on track to be no different. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, there have as of mid-April already been 149 mass shootings in the US — with gun violence claiming lives in every state in the country.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, shootings have already claimed more than 11,000 lives in total in the US in 2023, with more than 6,000 people using a gun to die by suicide. Another 9,000 people have been injured in a shooting so far this year.

Abe Asher reports:

How many mass shootings have there been in 2023?

Police manhunt continues for suspect in Texas mass shooting

22:30 , Ariana Baio

Law enforcement officers went door-to-door on Sunday searching for information about the suspected Cleveland shooter Francisco Oropesa.

Now, nearly four days after the horrific shooting, law enforcement agencies are still looking for Mr Oropesa.

Mr Oropesa, 38, is considered armed and dangerous after fleeing the area Friday, likely on foot, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said late Saturday.

He said authorities had widened the search to 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the scene of the shooting.

Investigators found clothes and a phone while combing a rural area that includes dense layers of forest, but tracking dogs lost the scent, Capers said.

Authorities were able to identify Oropesa by an identity card issued by Mexican authorities to citizens who reside outside the country, as well as doorbell camera footage. He said police have also interviewed the suspect’s wife.

Police are asking anyone with information to notify police.

Why Greg Abbott’s response to the latest Texas mass shooting shouldn’t come as a surprise

22:00 , Ariana Baio

When five people were shot dead in their home over a noise complaint, Greg Abbott labelled the victims ‘illegal immigrants’. True to form with past shootings in his state, he made no mention of the role his own lax gun laws may have played

Rachel Sharp reports:

Greg Abbott’s response to the latest Texas mass shooting shouldn’t come as a surprise

Who is suspect Francisco Oropesa?

21:30 , Ariana Baio

Francisco Oropesa, the 38-year-old accused of killing five people, lived next door to the home of the victims.

Authorities say Mr Oropesa often shot his rifle in his yard which led neighbors to call law enforcement on other occasions, according to The New York Times.

Mr Oropesa owned an AR-15-style rifle along with other weapons found inside his home.

The Independent reports:

Neighbor blames slow response on racism

21:00 , Ariana Baio

A man who lived in the same neighbourhood as the victims of the horrific Cleveland, Texas mass shooting believes racism may be to blame for the slow police response to several calls the family made before the gunman opened fire.

Jose Oritz told The Houston Chronicle that the neighbourhood he lives in has “a lot of racism.”

“The authorities ignore this neighbourhood,” Mr Oritz said. “The streets are not cared for and neither is the community.”

“There’s a lot of racism here. The authorities ignore this neighborhood,” Ortiz said as he stood near a street pockmarked with deep potholes. “The streets are not cared for and neither is the community.”

Wilson Garcia, the man whose wife and son died in the shooting, supposedly called authorities five times before the shooter opened fire in his home on Friday (28 April).

Police allegedly took more than 20 minutes to arrive at the scene, according to The Houston Chronicle

Police admit suspect Francisco Oropesa ‘could be anywhere’ despite reports he was cornered

20:30 , Ariana Baio

A manhunt for the Texas gunman accused of killing five neighbours continues despite earlier reports that law enforcement had cornered him.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Police admit Texas shooting suspect ‘could be anywhere’

Greg Abbott forced to walk back ‘illegal immigrants’ comment about Texas shooting victims

20:00 , Ariana Baio

Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office walked back on the language used in a statement about the immigration status of victims in the Cleveland, Texas mass shooting.

Spokesperson Renae Eze said in a statement provided to The Independent that the governor’s office regrets if the information they provided was “incorrect” or “detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal.”

“The true focus remains on catching this heinous criminal who killed five innocent people and bringing the full weight of Texas law against him,” Ms Eze said in the statement.

Ariana Baio reports:

Greg Abbott forced to walk back ‘illegal immigrants’ comment about shooting victims

FBI release photos of search

19:40 , Ariana Baio

‘Zero leads’ on suspected shooter

19:15 , Ariana Baio

A manhunt for the suspect in the deadly shooting in Cleveland, Texas, entered its fourth day with no leads on his whereabouts, authorities said.

Two days after the violent massacre that left five people dead, the FBI Houston Field Office and the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Officer said in a press conference on Sunday that the suspected gunman, 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, is still at large.

As of Tuesday (2 May) Mr Oropesa still remains on the run.

Police share new wanted poster of suspect Francisco Oropesa

18:45 , Ariana Baio

Texas family called police five times before shooting

18:25 , ariana.baio

Victims and survivors of the mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas called 911 five times before the massacre unfolded, according to a survivor who lost his wife and son in the attack.

Wilson Garcia told the Associated Press that the family had initially asked suspect Francisco Oropesa to stop shooting so close to their home as it was scaring their baby.

Mr Oropesa refused, saying he was on his property so could do what he wanted.

Mr Garcia said that the shooting continued so the family called 911. In total, they made five calls to police in the 10 to 20 minutes between the initial confrontation and the massacre.

During each call, Mr Garcia said police reassured them that help was on its way.

But police had not yet arrived when Mr Garcia said he saw the suspect running towards his house with his AR-15-style rifle.

Gun safety advocates express horror at mass shooting in Texas

17:50 , Ariana Baio

Gun safety advocates have decried the latest deadly mass shooting in the US, which left five people dead on Friday night.

The tragedy is the latest in a concerning epidemic of senseless gun violence in the US; just four months into the year, America has seen more than 170 mass shootings, according to CNN. Reacting to the deadly violence, gun safety advocates slammed lax weapon laws in Texas.

“Assault rifles were designed to be used by highly trained soldiers in battle, not marketed to violent men to carry out revenge fantasies,” gun violence prevention activist and Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts tweeted on Saturday. “From Newtown to Nashville, Las Vegas to Uvalde, these weapons of war are chosen and used to inflict as much harm as quickly as possible.”

Andrea Blanco reports:

Gun safety advocates express horror at mass shooting in Texas

FBI say Francisco Oropesa “could be anywhere"

17:30 , ariana.baio

The Houston FBI urged the public to submit any tips or information that could lead to the arrest of suspected shooter Francisco Oropesa.

“Francisco Oropesa could be anywhere,” the Houston FBI wrote on Twitter.

“The FBI is working with law enforcement agencies across the state, country and across the border. We’re leaving no stone unturned.”