State Watch

FBI says it has ‘zero leads’ in hunt for Texas gunman who fatally shot neighbors

Law enforcement officials work Sunday, April 30, 2023, in the neighborhood where a mass shooting occurred Friday night, in Cleveland, Texas. The search for a Texas man who allegedly shot his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing off rounds in his yard stretched into a second day Sunday, with authorities saying the man could be anywhere by now. Francisco Oropeza, 38, fled after the shooting Friday night that left several people dead, including a young boy. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The FBI in Houston has said investigators have “zero leads” in their search for a Texas man who allegedly shot and killed five people, including an 8-year-old. 

“I can tell you right now, we have zero leads,” James Smith, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters.

Francisco Oropesa, 38, fled after the shooting on Friday night and is considered armed and dangerous. The FBI and local authorities have jointly offered $80,000 in reward money for information that could lead them closer to the suspect amid a multi-agency search.

The FBI has circulated photos of the suspect but warned that he should not be approached.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said after the shooting that “he could be anywhere now.”

Authorities have said the shooting occurred after Oropesa’s neighbors asked him to stop firing off rounds into his yard at night.

Police recovered the AR-15-style rifle they believe Oropesa used in the shootings, but it’s not clear whether he was carrying another weapon when he fled. Other weapons were reportedly found in his home. 

The Associated Press contributed.