5 people including a child are dead after a suspect armed with an AR-15-style rifle shot them in a Texas home “execution style.”
According to police, the incident occurred at 11:31 p.m. local time on Friday. Officials from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about harassment in the town of Cleveland, Texas. When cops arrived at the scene, they shockingly found several victims shot at the home. Three of the deceased were females and two were males, including the youngest sadly being an 8-year-old boy.
At least 10 people were said to be in the home when police arrived on scene and all of the victims were between the ages of eight and 40. One victim is also between the ages of 14 and 16 while the three others are adults.
Authorities told @ABCNews that two female victims were discovered in the bedroom lying on top of two surviving children. It was also said that three other minors were located uninjured but were found covered in blood. They were transported to a local hospital. So what caused all of this to happen? Police said they believe the massacre occurred after neighbors asked the suspect to stop shooting his gun in the front yard simply because a baby was trying to sleep.
“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,” and he had been drinking and he says ‘I’ll do what I want to in my front yard,'” San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told KTRK.
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Sheriff Caper went on to say that he believes some of the victims were trying to shield their children from the gunman which is why bodies were found on top of children who were unharmed. “In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive,” Capers told KTRK.
What Do We Know About The Suspect?
Police said the suspect “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.” So far he’s only been identified as a Hispanic male who is armed with an AR-15 style rifle and was believed to be intoxicated, authorities noted. They say he is approximately 5-foot-8 and was last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots. He’s also described as having short black hair.
How Has The Community Been Handling This Tragedy?
Police said residents have been told to “stay inside [and] stay clear” of the crime scene until the investigation has concluded. “We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour but we know who he is,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told ABC station KTRK.
As of right now, police have not disclosed the identity, ages, or possible relationship to the suspect. However, they did confirm that the shootings all took place in one home, the victims were all from Honduras, and four of the victims were declared dead at the shooting scene. The fifth victim, which is an 8-year-old boy, was taken to a hospital and he has since been pronounced dead.
We will continue to keep you updated as this story develops.
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