Texas shooting suspect, Francisco Oropeza, who gunned down 5 neighbors including an 8-year-old is still considered “armed and dangerous” and on the run

Texas shooting suspect who gunned down 5 neighbors including an 8-year-old is still considered “armed and dangerous” and on the run.

Authorities initially tracked Francisco Oropeza, 38, to a wooded area about a mile or so from the crime scene in the hours after the bloodshed, but as of 7 p.m. Saturday he was no longer “cornered,” said San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.

Capers said there were a total of 10 people in the house at the time of the shooting, and that the other five people inside were not hurt. He said two of the victims, all believed to be from Honduras, were found laying over two children inside. 

“Everyone that was shot was shot from the neck up, almost execution-style,” Capers said during an earlier news conference at the scene.

Capers said two other people were examined at the scene and released.

The victims were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, Daniel Enrique Laso, 8, Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, the sheriff confirmed. 

The suspect faces five murder charges and is still at large, Capers said. A judge has also issued an arrest warrant and a $5 million bond, Capers disclosed in a social media post. 

Police recovered the murder weapon, Oropeza’s cell phone, and clothes, according to reports.

The gun-toting suspect was firing shots from his AR-15 style rifle outside his home in the Houston suburb of Cleveland, Tex., just before midnight Saturday when a neighbor asked him to stop, telling him the infant was trying to sleep.

“An extensive manhunt for Oropeza has not yielded his location. If you have any tips or information, please call our office immediately at 936-653-4367. You can remain anonymous,” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page.

“Oropeza is considered armed and dangerous, do not approach or attempt to apprehend. During the search, authorities located the suspect’s cell phone and some clothing, Capers disclosed. 

Investigators believe they have possession of the rifle which was used in the shooting, the sheriff added. 

“We believe we have that weapon, but we don’t know if he is or is not carrying a smaller weapon,” Capers said.