Five dead, including 8-year-old after Mexican gunman allegedly opens fire on Texas family

An eight-year-old boy and four adults, all who lived in the same Texas home, are dead after 39-year-old Francisco Oropeza, a Mexican national, allegedly opened fire on the group after they asked him to stop shooting a rifle in his yard at 11:30 pm at night. The individuals were reportedly shot "execution style," according to local news.

ABC News reports that San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said, "My understanding is that the victims, they came over to the fence and said 'Hey could you not do your shooting out in the yard? We have a young baby that's trying to go to sleep.'" Oropeza was reportedly drunk and said, "I'll do what I want to in my front yard."

The incident happened in the city of Cleveland, Texas, located approximately 45 miles north of Houston. 

When police arrived at the household of the victims four adults were already dead from gunshot wounds and the fifth, the 8-year-old boy, was moved to a local hospital but died shortly thereafter.  A group of ten total lived in the same home and were reportedly part of the same family,

According to the Daily Mail, the family was from Honduras and the victims ranged in age from 8  to 40. Two female victims were found dead and covered in blood in the bedroom of their home, laying on top of and shielding two surviving children. 

Another man was found dead in the living room and it is unclear where the 8-year-old boy was found.

Sheriff Capers said, "In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive."

The New York Post reports that according to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, "The Mexican male subject, he has been known to shoot his 223 out in his front yard, which is evident by the shell casings that are laying in the front yard."

223 refers to the caliber of a rifle and is synonymous with a type of cartridge used in those rifles, with .223 referring to a bullet's size being .223 inches at its base.

According to local KHOU News, SWAT raided Oropeza's home but he had fled. Multiple guns were retrieved from the residence.

Sheriff Capers said, "The suspect...we don't believe him to be in the area. He's at least 10 to 20 miles away from here."

"We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour but we know who he is," Sheriff Capers said.

Oropeza has been described as 5' 8" and a $5 million bond has been attached to his arrest.