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What we know about the man accused of killing 5 people in San Jacinto County

A manhunt for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza continues. He's accused of killing five people "almost execution-style" after being confronted by neighbors.

CLEVELAND, Texas — A manhunt continues for a gunman who allegedly killed five people in San Jacinto County after being confronted by neighbors.

Editor's note: On Sunday, the FBI sent out a photo of a man they said was a suspect in the killing of five people in San Jacinto County. They later sent out a media release saying the photo they originally sent was an error. The correct photos have now been released along with a change to the spelling of the suspect's last name for law enforcement purposes.

It happened at a home 10 miles west of Cleveland when officials say 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza was allegedly drinking and shooting a gun in the front yard of his home. Neighbors confronted him saying they had a child inside their home trying to sleep.

The incident immediately turned violent when officials said Oropeza walked up his neighbor's driveway with a rifle and began opening fire "almost execution-style."

Several agencies, including the FBI, are now looking for the man after expanding their search area.

Who is Francisco Oropeza?

Neighbors of Oropeza said it's not uncommon to hear gunshots in the area, but that they never expected something like this.

"There's a lot of people here that like to shoot guns," Eric Calderon said. "It was just a matter of time before something like this happens, I guess."

Even though there was a history of calls to law enforcement at Oropeza's home, residents said they were familiar with him and his wife. They described him as someone who would occasionally wave but usually kept to himself.

"I can't believe it. It's hard," another neighbor said. "To think about those people dead and their families. More than anything, their families...their babies."

Oropeza is now wanted for shooting and killing five people who lived next door, with one of the victims being a 9-year-old. The FBI released new images of the suspect Sunday afternoon and featured a prominent tattoo on his left forearm.

The FBI is using a different spelling of the suspect's last name to "better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems." 

Where is Francisco Oropeza?

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers initially said Oropeza was not believed to be near the subdivision.

"The suspect...we don't believe him to be in the area," Capers said early Saturday morning. "We believe him to be 10 to 20 miles away from here."

After further investigation, Capers said they believed they had Oropeza cornered in a wooded area about a mile from the shooting scene.

The FBI said Saturday afternoon they recovered Oropeza's cellphone, abandoned clothes, and a rifle used in the shooting. Dogs were used to track down Oropeza, but they lost his scent in the water.

"He could be anywhere now," Capers said.

The FBI brought in additional resources to help with the search for Oropeza, including drones and helicopters and said they expanded their search area.

Oropeza is described as armed and dangerous. If you see him, you should call 911 immediately.

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