Abbot statement draws fire from immigrant advocates
Authorities said Oropeza is from Mexico and the victims are from Honduras. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” declined to discuss the immigration status of those involved, citing the “active case.”
Gov. Greg Abbott said all were in the country illegally, drawing criticism from immigrant advocates and overshadowing the $50,000 reward he had offered for tips that may lead to Oropeza’s capture.
Abbott’s office issued a retraction Monday, saying, “We’ve since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally,” but without addressing why the initial statement mentioned their status.
Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a statement. “We regret if the information was incorrect and detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal.”
“Five human beings lost their lives and Greg Abbott insists on labeling them ‘illegal immigrants,'” tweeted former HUD secretary Julián Castro.
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center chastised Abbott for the describing the victims by their immigration status in a “public message to his constituents who are already flooded w/ deceiving + dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric.”
“My heart is with this … little boy,” Capers said Sunday. “I don’t care if he was here legally. I don’t care if he was here illegally. He was in my county.”
Texas mass shooting victims identified
Authorities have identified the dead as Guzman’s wife, Sonia, and son, Daniel Enrique Laso; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18. Four died at the scene; Daniel died at a hospital a short time after the shooting Friday night.
Garcia said one of the women had told him to jump out a window “because my children were without a mother and one of their parents had to stay alive to take care of them.”
Francia Cristina Guzman, Sonia’s mother, told Honduras’ La Prensa that her daughter had build a house for her in Honduras but that she “would give all that … back” to have her daughter and grandson.
Daniel attended Northside Elementary School. The Cleveland Independent School District issued a statement saying it was “heartbroken learning the news concerning the death of one of our students.” Crisis counselors were available Monday at district schools.
“All of our prayers and thoughts are with the families and community impacted by this horrible tragedy,” the statement said. “Cleveland ISD will take all measures, precautionary needs and any necessary actions to help all of our students and staff during this time, as well as keeping them safe!”
Velazquez Alvarado’s husband, Jefrey Rivera, told the Honduran network HCH that his wife died protecting children. He said she hid in a closet with some of the children. Rivera said he threw a machete at the suspect in an effort to stop his advance.
“By the time I found the machete, shots had already been fired,” Rivera said.
‘Zero leads’ on whereabouts of suspect
At a brief news conference Sunday afternoon, authorities said they have “zero leads” on Oropeza.
“We do not know where he is. We do not have any tips on where he may be,” James Smith, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge told reporters, adding authorities were uncertain whether the suspect was even still in the area. “Right now, we’re running into dead ends.”
Capers said his offices was being supported by the FBI Houston Office and its SWAT team, the U.S. Marshals and Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, the Harris, Montgomery and Liberty County Sheriff’s Offices, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers.
Despite the more than 250 law enforcement officers from the multiple agencies working on the case, the search dragged on the third day Monday. Officers were using additional manpower, including scent-tracking dogs and drones but no leads came up.
A heavy presence of police converged in Montgomery County on Monday after possible sightings, but the sheriff’s office later said none of the persons were found to be Oropeza.
“Several dozen law enforcement officials are currently investigating leads and intel as it becomes available, as well as continuing to examine the area,” Capers said.
Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 dead in Texas shooting: Family called police 5 times before killings
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