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The search for a gunman in Texas who allegedly shot five neighbors to death has entered its fourth day, with law enforcement having few apparent leads on the suspect's whereabouts.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, is considered armed and dangerous after fleeing the Cleveland, Texas, area on Friday night.
Authorities say he entered his neighbors' home and fatally shot five people, including a 9-year-old boy, after they asked him to stop firing off rounds in his yard at night because a baby was sleeping.
More than 250 law enforcement officers from dozens of agencies are searching for Oropeza, a Mexican national who has been deported at least four times since 2009.
The search has so far failed to locate Oropeza despite authorities using scent-tracking dogs and drones in addition to offering a total of $80,000 in reward money for his capture.
On Monday, the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office shared a photo on Facebook of a billboard in Spanish urging people to contact the office if they see Oropeza.
"My office is still actively searching for Francisco Oropeza," Sheriff Greg Capers wrote in another post. "Several dozen law enforcement officials are currently investigating leads and intel as it becomes available, as well as continuing to examine the area. We ask that the general public limit traffic to the area while law enforcement works to capture the suspect."
On Monday, the sheriff's office in neighboring Montgomery County alerted the public about possible sightings, but neither turned up Oropeza.
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There was heavy police presence around Highway 105 East near Security Landfill Road on Monday morning after an employee at a landfill reported a possible sighting.
"Deputies, K9-Units, and air units searched the area, and all persons found in the area were investigated, and none were found to be Oropeza," the sheriff's office said in a tweet.
A few hours later, the sheriff's office reported another possible sighting.
The department said several schools in the area had "secured their campuses and brought everyone indoors" and again asked residents to avoid the area. However, that search also turned up nothing.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott faced backlash over calling attention to the victim's immigration status while announcing a $50,000 reward for any tips that might lead to the gunman.
The victims were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.
Law enforcement has not confirmed the citizenship status of the victims. They were reportedly Honduran nationals and Alvarado was a permanent resident of the U.S., her husband has said.
By describing them as "illegal immigrants" in his first public statement about the shooting, Abbott attracted criticism from Democrats and immigrant rights groups, who accused him of injecting politics into the shooting while doing "nothing" to curb gun violence in the state.
Abbott's spokesperson, Renae Eze, said information provided by federal officials after the shooting had indicated that the suspect and victims were in the country illegally.
"We've since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally," Eze said in a statement to Newsweek.
"We regret if the information was incorrect and detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal. The true focus remains on catching this heinous criminal who killed five innocent people and bringing the full weight of Texas law against him."
Her statement did not address why Abbott mentioned the victims' status in his statement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned the shooting during a press briefing on Monday, saying it again demonstrated the need for stricter gun legislation.
"The president was briefed on the shooting on Saturday morning, and he and the first lady are praying for those killed in the attack, for their surviving loved ones, and for the broader Cleveland community," she said.
"But the president believes prayers alone are not enough. Congress must act, because what makes tragedies like this one all the more heart-wrenching is the fact that it is entirely within our power to take these weapons of war off our streets.
"The majority of Americans and the majority of gun owners support common-sense measures to reduce gun violence. The president continues to believe that Congress must act without delay. It's not too late to save lives and prevent the next mass shooting."
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more