Crime
Honduran man reveals how his wife and son were killed in Texas massacre
Wilson García revealed that the first person killed in the Cleveland shooting was his wife Sonia Guzmán
May 5, 2023 8:34am
Updated: May 5, 2023 8:34am
In a heartbreaking recollection of the tragic events that unfolded in Cleveland, Texas last week, Honduran immigrant Wilson García recounted part of the massacre that claimed the lives of his wife and 9-year-old son.
García said that the people in his town are used to shooting their weapons to relax, but on the day of the shooting he decided to go to the house of his neighbor Francisco Oropesa, 38, to "respectfully" ask him to shoot further away from his home, since she had a one-month-old son who wouldn't stop crying.
"He told us that he was on his property and could do whatever he wanted," García continued to tell Univision News on Sunday, after a vigil in Cleveland for the deceased.
The man revealed that after his request, Oropesa got agitated, loaded his gun and headed for Garcia's property. "He just came and shot without saying a word."
In the first shot “my wife fell. Then he kept shooting,” added García. "I put the lock on one of the doors and I went out the window."
According to García, Oropesa realized that he could not reach the 10 people who survived and turned back to continue firing at the five family members who had already died.
García has requested help through a GoFundMe account to raise funds and be able to repatriate his wife and son to his country of origin.
Hello, my name is Wilson, husband of Sonia Guzmán and father of Daniel Guzmán. I would like you to help me raise funds so that I can send my wife and son to their native country of Honduras and repatriate those who died in the murder in Cleveland Tx”, the text says.
The Texas authorities still do not know the whereabouts of Francisco Oropesa, so this Monday they offered a reward of $80,000 for anyone who provides information that leads to his arrest.
The FBI Houston released images of the fugitive and said he has a "prominent tattoo on his left forearm." A warrant has been issued for Oropesa's arrest on five counts of murder and bail has been set at $5 million.