Police went house to house Sunday looking for clues about a gunman who fled after killing five people in a Texas town after his neighbors asked him to stop shooting in their yard.
The alleged shooter, Francisco Oropesa, 38, appears to be armed and considered dangerous after fleeing the area Friday, likely on foot, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Saturday. He added that the authorities had extended the search radius to 32 kilometers (20 miles) from the scene of the accident.
Investigators found clothing and a cell phone while searching a rural area that included dense forests, but the dogs lost their trail, Capers said. Police were able to identify Oropesa thanks to an ID issued by Mexican authorities to Mexicans residing outside the country, as well as doorbell camera video. Police also questioned the suspect’s wife, she added.
Police recovered the AR-15 Oropesa allegedly used in the shootings, although authorities were not sure if he was carrying another weapon, the police chief said. There were other weapons at the suspect’s home, he added. “Now he could be anywhere,” Carpers said Saturday.
The attack occurred near Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where, according to some residents, it is not unusual to hear neighbors firing firearms.
It was much calmer on Sunday. Police tape had been removed from around the victims’ home, where there were four bullet holes in the front door. The agent and officers declined to comment on their activities.
While officers were speaking with residents of a home, a red pickup truck towing a mobile home drove through the neighborhood. A police officer stopped the truck and asked the driver, “Do you mind if I take a look inside the truck?”
The driver complied and allowed the police officer to enter the vehicle. After inspecting the motorhome, the police officer allowed the driver to go on his way.
Capers noted that the victims ranged in age from 8 to 31 and that they are all believed to be Hondurans. They were all shot “from the neck up,” she said.
