Texas shooting live: 5 dead, suspect armed with AR-15 is on the loose

A tragic shooting in Cleveland, Texas left five people dead, including an 8-year-old child, on Friday night. The suspect, who is still at large, is believed to be armed with an AR-15 style rifle and intoxicated, according to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office received a call about harassment at a home around 11:31 p.m. local time and found several victims shot at the property. Four of them were pronounced dead at the scene and one later died at the hospital. The victims were all from Honduras and ranged in age from 8 to 40.

Two female victims were found in the bedroom lying on top of two surviving children, authorities said. At least 10 people were in the home when the shooting occurred.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, about 5’8″ tall, with short black hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black shirt and work boots. He has been known to shoot his rifle in his front yard, where shell casings were found.

The sheriff’s office is asking residents to stay inside and clear of the crime scene until the investigation is completed. They also urged anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to call 911 immediately.

This is the latest incident of gun violence in Texas, where mass shootings have claimed dozens of lives in recent years. In September 2022, a gunman killed five people and wounded 25 others in a rampage that spanned several towns in West Texas. In August 2019, another gunman killed 23 people and injured 23 more at a Walmart in El Paso.