The tears - his wife and son were killed by a neighbor

Shooting  

 

Wilson mourns his family - big reward promised in the hunt for his neighbor  

 

Of:  

 

Niklas Gustafsson  

 

Published: Less than 20 min ago  

 

NEWS  

 

At a memorial service for those murdered in Texas, Wilson Garcia mourns his wife and son.  

 

While tears run down his cheek, the hunt for the perpetrator continues.  

 

Now a reward of over SEK 800,000 has been promised to whoever can help the police find the neighbor's killer.  

 

A woman asked Wilson Garcia to jump out the window and escape – his children needed a surviving parent to care for them.  

 

- I try to be strong for my children. My daughter understands a bit, it's very difficult when she starts asking for mom and big brother, says a crying Wilson Garcia to AP. 

 

The nightmare began after he asked his neighbor, Francisco Oropeza, to shoot further away from his house, as his baby was sleeping. After he called the police about the incident, it wasn't long before Oropeza went on the attack.

Wilson Garcia during the memorial service for his nine-year-old son, who was shot dead in the act of insanity. Photo: David J Phillip/AP  

 

With a semi-automatic rifle, he murdered five people. Among the dead were Wilson Garcia's wife and his nine-year-old son.  

 

Garcia describes how Oropeza went from room to room trying to kill everyone in the house. Several children were found under dead bodies. The parents had laid over them to protect them from the shots.  

 

Francisco Oropeza was a habitual shooter according to the neighbors. He often shot guns in his garden. 

 

 

 

The local police wanted Oropeza on Facebook. Photo: San Jacinto 

- County Sheriff's Office "All the victims have been shot from the neck up, it looks like an execution," said Sheriff Greg Caspers to television station KTRK.  

 

Great reward promised 

 

The mass shooting happened in the city of Cleveland a few miles north of Houston on Friday night. After the shooting, Francisco Oropeza fled the crime scene and area. 

 

The hunt for Oropeza has intensified over the weekend. First, the FBI was called in and now a large reward has also been promised to anyone who can provide the police with information that leads to his arrest. 

 

A sign warns intruders that they will be shot sits outside the homes. Photo: David J Phillip/AP  

 

Texas Governor, Greg Abbot posted a $50,000 reward. Local authorities and the FBI also chose to step in with money. In total, the reward is now over SEK 800,000. 

 

- Right now we have no leads, says FBI agent James Smith, to AP. 

 

Want to give the family closure  

 

Authorities were able to identify Francisco Oropeza through identification documents and surveillance images from a doorbell.Police say they interviewed Oropeza's wife several times. 

 

Both the victims and the perpetrator are Spanish-speaking, and the police now plan to put up signs in Spanish about the reward in the area. All to motivate people to get in touch.  

 

Greg Capers. Photo: David J Phillip/AP  

 

- We are trying to give the family an end to this, says Sheriff Greg Capers to the AP.  

 

Oropeza is believed to have left the crime scene and area on foot. Initially, the police were able to trace his phone. When it was found abandoned among a pile of clothes, even the police dogs lost track.  

 

- We will not stop until we arrest him, said FBI agent James Smith at a press conference.  

 

The rifle used in the mass murder has been seized by the police. At this point, it is unclear if Oropeza is armed with any smaller weapons. But police say he should be considered both dangerous and armed.  

 

During Sunday, the cordons around the crime scene were lifted. Police tape was taken down and people went to the house to lay flowers outside.