On Tuesday evening, police arrested Francisco Oropesa, a 39-year-old Mexican national and the suspect behind a horrific home mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas that killed five people, including a 9-year-old child, after Oropesa had been a fugitive for days.
But that doesn't appear to be the end of the story. According to CNN, "several" other people have been arrested in connection with the case — and authorities aren't explaining why.
"In addition to accused gunman Francisco Oropesa, fewer than five others have been arrested, Chief Deputy Tim Kean of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office said. 'But I can’t go into the details,'" reported Ed Lavandera, Josh Campbell, and Elizabeth Wolfe. "Authorities also are waiting to learn whether the mass shooting weapon has been recovered. 'As of now, we may have the weapon, but we have to wait for ballistics (testing),' Kean said at a news conference outside the jail where Oropesa is now being held after a dayslong manhunt."
"A 38-year-old Mexican national, Oropesa was found Tuesday evening stowed under a pile of laundry in a closet just a few miles from the massacre site after a tip helped lead authorities to him, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Tuesday. Law enforcement also tracked Oropesa’s wife to the home, which is associated with one of the suspect’s family members, a law enforcement source told CNN," said the report. "Oropesa will be held on five counts of murder, with bond set at $5 million, the sheriff’s office said."
The original report by police stated that Oropesa had been shooting off an AR-15-style rifle on his property, when a neighbor asked him to stop because an infant in the house was being kept awake, after which Oropesa turned his firearm on the house and opened fire.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has come under fire for calling the victims "illegal immigrants." At least one of the shooting victims, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, was in fact a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
