A gruesome and horrible act of gun violence occurred on Friday night in Cleveland, Texas. Wilson Garcia’s neighbor, Francisco Oropeza, was firing his gun in his yard, causing loud noises that were keeping Garcia’s baby awake. To solve the issue, Mr. Garcia went to Mr. Oropeza and politely asked if he could stop firing his gun. Mr. Oropeza responded by claiming it was his yard and he can do what he wants. After Mr. Garcia threatened to call the police, Mr. Oropeza went inside his house and got an AR-15. He proceeded to walk to Mr. Garcia’s house with the assault weapon and began firing, first killing Mr. Garcia’s wife. Mr. Oropeza then shot and killed 4 more people in the house, including an 8 year old. Two women that died were protecting a 6-week old boy and a 3-year-old, who thankfully survived due to the courage of the two women. Mr. Oropeza and Mr. Garcia got along well, even helping each other with yard work at times. But, reports say Mr. Oropeza had been drinking that night. After the incident, Mr. Oropeza fled and has yet to be found.
This story is absolutely sickening. A polite request from a neighbor turned into a massacre of a family. First, firing a gun in your front yard seems to epitomize America’s gun culture. No longer are guns perceived as weapons for protection, but harmless toys that everyone can play with. What is even more disturbing about this incident was the Mr. Garcia and his family came to the United States from Honduras to escape gang violence and find safety. He stated, “We came here to escape violence and found it in America.” This gun epidemic is destroying our country, no longer making it a land of freedom, protection and opportunity.