San Jacinto County Shooting Leaves 5 Dead, Suspect at Large: Calls for Stricter Gun Laws in Texas
A tragic mass shooting in San Jacinto County, Texas has left five people dead, including an eight-year-old child.[0] The suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, is believed to be the next-door neighbour of the victims and is still at large.[1] Oropeza 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.[2] The shooting occurred at around 10:30 pm in a rural area just outside the city of Cleveland, Texas.[3] Oropeza, who is originally from Mexico, was frequently known to shoot his AR-15 style weapon in his yard. The shooting was a result of a dispute between Oropeza and his neighbours, who were all from Honduras. According to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, the victims were shot “from the neck up almost execution style, basically in the head”.[2] The victims’ identities are currently unknown.[4] The sheriff believes that some of the victims had arrived at the home from Houston in recent days.[5]
According to authorities, Oropeza became angry after his neighbours asked him to stop shooting and, after the conversation, went to their home. The authorities viewed a video recording of Oropeza's approach towards the victims' entrance door and subsequent entry into the premises.[6] Oropeza, who was intoxicated at the time, allegedly stormed inside his neighbours’ home and fatally shot five people and injured three others.[3] Investigators believe Oropeza had been firing his AR-15 style gun in a neighbouring yard when the victims asked him to stop, as they were trying to get a baby to sleep.
The murders contribute to an increasing catalog of contemporary firearm assaults executed by armed citizens who have fired in reaction to possibly routine, ordinary engagements.[7] Texas has some of the country's loosest gun laws, with at least 174 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.[8] According to both CNN and the archive, a shooting that resulted in injury or death of four or more individuals, excluding the perpetrator, is categorized as a “mass shooting”[4]
Police believe that Oropeza is no longer in the area, and a local judge has issued an arrest warrant for the suspect. The gunman's wife has been interviewed by investigators.[5] The victims' identities are unknown, but the sheriff said that he believes the victims are from Honduras.[9] Three people were taken to the hospital, and two were evaluated at the scene and released, according to authorities.[4] There were individuals who sustained critical injuries.[4]
In conclusion, this shooting emphasizes the need for stricter gun laws in Texas and the US.[6] The ease of access to firearms has resulted in the loss of innocent lives, and it is high time that the government take action to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
0. “Texas shooting: 5 killed, including 8-year-old in San Jacinto County, shooter still missing” FOX 32 Chicago, 30 Apr. 2023, https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1214030
1. “Who is Francisco Oropeza? What we know about suspect accused of 5 murders in San Jacinto County” KPRC Click2Houston, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/04/29/who-is-francisco-oropeza-what-we-know-about-suspect-accused-of-5-murders-in-san-jacinto-county
2. “Gunman on the run after five slain in Texas” Bangkok Post, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2559891/gunman-on-the-run-after-five-slain-in-texas
3. “Texas shooting – live: Gunman who killed five with AR-15 over noise complaint surrounded by Cleveland police” The Independent, 30 Apr. 2023, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/texas-shooting-cleveland-today-san-jacinto-b2329494.html
4. “Suspect at large after Texas mass shooting killed 5 people, including 8-year-old” WSLS 10, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/29/suspect-at-large-after-texas-mass-shooting-killed-5-people-including-8-year-old/
5. “Texas man kills 5 after family complained about gunfire noise” CBS News, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/texas-man-kills-5-after-family-complained-about-gunfire-noise/
6. “Shooter kills 8-year-old and four others in Cleveland, Tex., sheriff says” The Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/29/cleveland-texas-gunman-kills-five-8-year-old
7. “Man kills 5 people after they asked him to stop shooting in his yard” Business Insider, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-shooting-ar-15-5-people-killed-police-2023-4
8. “Five dead, man on the run after Texas mass shooting” Sky News Australia, 30 Apr. 2023, https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/five-dead-including-eightyearold-boy-after-mass-shooting-in-texas-leaves-police-desperately-hunting-suspect/news-story/660cdefd2e5a27a0ab1dfa01b461e686
9. “Five dead in Texas shooting, armed suspect on the loose” The Jerusalem Post, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-741599
