Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
A horrific shooting incident in San Jacinto County, Texas has left five people dead, including an eight-year-old child. The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office received a call for “harassment” around midnight on Saturday and found that five people had been shot on a property in the Trails End area of Cleveland, which is about 50 miles north of Houston.
A SWAT unit from neighboring Montgomery County rushed to the site to assist and cleared several properties in the area, but the shooter had already fled the county. Four of the victims were pronounced dead on the spot, while the fifth victim, who had been airlifted in critical condition to a local trauma center, died in the hospital.
The sheriff’s office has identified the victims as immigrants from Honduras, of which four were adults, one male and three females, and the youngest was just eight years old. Three other children were injured and were taken to the hospital for medical attention.
The shooter has been identified as a Mexican male, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest with a bond set at $5 million. Police found shell casings at the scene, and the suspect is known to have shot a .223 rifle in the front yard of the residence, according to Sheriff Greg Capers. Texas Rangers are assisting with the investigation, and the police have urged the public to avoid the area.
This tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the community, and the authorities are working tirelessly to bring the perpetrator to justice. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we hope that the perpetrator is swiftly apprehended and brought to trial.