Published: Less than 10 min ago
Five people have been killed in a mass shooting in the small city of Cleveland, Texas.
The perpetrator is said to have been armed with a semi-automatic rifle and is now being hunted by the police.
According to ABC News, one of the dead is an eight-year-old child.
The mass shooting occurred late in the evening local time in the city of Cleveland, a few miles north of Houston in Texas, reports ABC News.
The police believe that the shooting started after some people asked their neighbor to stop shooting in his garden.
Protected their children
To the TV channel KTRK, the police told about their opinion about what happened.
The police believe that the victims had asked the neighbor to stop shooting, as they had a baby who was sleeping in the house next door. The man is said to have been drunk and replied that he does as he pleases in his garden.
Then he allegedly went on the attack and killed five people.
A total of ten people are said to have been in the home when the shooting took place. Several people were found alive with dead bodies all over them. The police’s theory is that the parents tried to protect their children and then got shot.
“My understanding is that they were trying to protect the babies and keep them alive,” police officer Greg Caspers told KTRK.
The man is said to have had a habit of shooting in his garden. Empty shell casings were found at the site, which should also have indicated this.
“We know who he is”
The man is still at large and the police have launched a hunt for him.
“We’re getting closer to him minute by minute, hour by hour, and we know who he is,” police officer Greg Caspers told KTRK.
A neighbor in the area told local media that she did not react when she heard the shots, as there is always shooting in the area.
– People have always called the police but nothing has been done, the neighbor told KTRK.
Authorities in the city urged all residents to stay inside and stay away from the crime scene.