Police in Texas say they believe a man killed five of his neighbors after an argument about him practicing shooting with a semi-automatic weapon nearby.
All those killed were from Honduras, including an eight-year-old child.
The shooting happened Friday night in Cleveland, a small town in San Jacinto County, north of Houston.
According to local Sheriff Greg Capers, the dead included two women who were lying on top of the two surviving children.
“In my opinion, they were actually trying to take care of the kids and keep them alive,” Sheriff Capers told local station KTRK. He added that all the victims had been shot “above the neck, almost execution style, mainly in the head”.
The suspect, believed to be Mexican, has been identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropez. He is still at large and is believed to be armed. He has been charged with five counts of murder.
Police are using dogs and drones to search for the suspect, who is believed to be hiding in nearby woods.
The sheriff’s office said it received a call about “harassment” at around 23:30 local time on Friday (04:30 GMT Saturday).
Investigators believe the victims told Mr. Oropez, who is believed to have been drinking, to stop shooting while they were trying to put a child to sleep.
According to Sheriff Capers, the man replied: “I’ll shoot in my front yard, I’ll do what I want to do in my residence.”
After both parties returned to their homes, the gunman “raised his magazine, and walked down his driveway … into people’s homes and started shooting,” Sheriff Capers said. said
A total of 10 people were in the property at the time. The adults were pronounced dead at the scene, and the eight-year-old died at the hospital.
The gunman is believed to have used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Neighbor Veronica Pineda said she heard gunshots, but gunshots are normal: “It’s normal, in this neighborhood they always shoot. They always call the cops and Nothing is done for it.
“So yesterday I heard the shooting but I thought it was just like a normal day. I never thought it was happening.”
The incident comes days after nine people were injured in a shooting at a youth party in West Texas.
Two weeks ago, four teenagers were shot and killed during a 16th birthday party in Alabama.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearm incidents are the leading cause of death for American children and adolescents.
