Subscribe Sign In

Most Popular

1. Sunday vigil, expanded

manhunt and more on
Cleveland shooting
2. Shooting survivors: San
Jacinto family only sought 3. FBI briefly releases photo of
wrong Francisco Oropeza 4. Houston nurses sentenced
to federal prison over 5. 5 found shot 'execution
style' in home in San Jacinto
small favor Medicare scheme County

POLITICS // TEXAS POLITICS

Gov. Greg Abbott comments on Texas shooting, calling victims 'illegal immigrants'
Jen Rice, 
Rice, Staff
Staff writer
Updated: May 1, 2023 10:34 a.m.

Governor of Texas Greg Abbott is pictured on his office chambers at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, on
Feb. 23, 2023.
Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Gov. Greg Abbott has sparked national outrage after referring to the five people killed in the Cleveland mass shooting as "illegal
immigrants" in a tweet Sunday afternoon.

MORE ON SHOOTING: Mass shooting survivors recount how small ask led to unthinkable tragedy in San Jacinto County

The five victims of Friday's mass shooting all hailed from Honduras and were members of the same extended family: Sonia Guzman,
her 9-year-old son Daniel Guzman, Diana Alvarado, Jose Casarez and Julisa Rivera.

Casarez and Rivera leave behind two children — a 6-year-old and a 9-month-old.

Law enforcement officials have described all five victims as being from Honduras,
Honduras, but have not confirmed their immigration status.
Sonia Argentina Guzman, one of the deceased, is listed as owning the home where the shooting took place in San Jacinto County
records. 

Celebrity chef José Andrés responded to Abbott in a tweet: "nobody is illegal in heaven."
I’ve announced a $50K reward for info on the criminal who killed 5 illegal
immigrants Friday. Also directed #OperationLoneStar to be on the lookout.

I continue working with state & local officials to ensure all available resources
are deployed to respond. pic.twitter.com/SpkUgKqKGe
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 30, 2023

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jamie was killed in Florida's Parkland high school mass shooting in 2018, tweeted at Abbott: "On
behalf of those like my daughter who are victims of gun violence, F*** YOU!!!"

MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough criticized Abbott on his show Monday morning.

"Maybe he's part of this Christian nationalist movement, but what would Jesus do? You don't have to be a Bible scholar to know: not
that. What a dreadful, shameful thing," Scarborough said.

MORE ON SHOOTING: Survivors
SHOOTING: Survivors speak, law enforcement expands manhunt after 5 killed

Responding to Abbott's tweet, an immigrant rights activist shared on Twitter a photo of Diana Alvarado's ID card identifying her as
a permanent resident of the United States. Carlos Eduardo Espina said the photo was sent to him by Alvarado's husband.

At a ceremony for fallen officers in Austin Sunday, Abbott said the suspected shooter had been deported four times and had re-
entered the United States illegally.

In stark contrast to Abbott, Beto O'Rourke reacted to the shooting with a tweet Saturday morning calling for a ban on AR-15 rifles
like the one used in the Cleveland mass shooting.

Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones in San Jacinto County last night.

AR-15s are designed for one purpose: to kill people.

We either accept their continued sale as the price of living (and dying) in
America, or we do the right thing & limit them to military use.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 29, 2023

By Monday morning, O'Rourke's name was trending on Twitter as many users pointed out the state "could've had Beto" had Abbott
not defeated him last November.

Around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Francisco Oropeza, 38, had been shooting

been shooting an AR-15-style rifle in
rifle in his front yard when his neighbor asked
him to stop shooting because his infant was trying to sleep, according to authorities. Oropeza first went home but then is alleged to
have come back, entered his neighbor's house and started shooting inside. 

The three surviving children present during the shooting were taken to a hospital.

They were covered with the blood of Diana Alvarado and Julisa Rivera, who were both killed while laying on top of the children to
cover them, law enforcement officials said.
As of Sunday, all three children had been released from the hospital.

jen.rice@houstonchronicle.com

Written By
Jen Rice

Reach Jen on

Jen Rice is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering Harris County government.

A native Houstonian, Jen graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and earned a master's degree from University of Texas at Austin's
LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. Her reporting has aired nationally on NPR's
Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Here & Now.

VIEW COMMENTS

2023 Texas Bill Tracker: Bills to watch

HB1686 HB20 HB5

Ban on gender-affirming care Civilian border patrol Chapter 313 revival

Would ban gender-affirming care for minors (cross- Would create a civilian patrol unit to detain people Would revive the state’
listed in Senate as SB 14). crossing the Mexican border illegally. It would also and, for the first time, e
Show reporter comment create a felony trespassing charge aimed at blocking projects from being elig
asylum claims of migrants who cross illegally. Show reporter comme
AUTHORS Show reporter comment
Tom Oliverson R AUTHORS
and 78 more

STATUS
AUTHORS
Matt Schaefer R
Todd Hunter R
and 52 more
►
and 47 more
House Senate STATUS

Under Consideration Under Consideration STATUS House

House Senate In Committee
Passed Passed
In Committee Under Consideration Passed
Governor’s Desk
Passed Passed Go
Governor’s Desk
Read more
R
Read more

See all bills

HOUSTON POLITICS
 HOUSTON POLITICS

GOP leaders say ballot shortage was targeted at Republicans. Here's what the data says.
A Chronicle investigation reveals the extent of the ballot paper shortage in Harris County's November election, including how the shortages
could impact the future of Texas' election laws.
BY JEN RICE, ALEXANDRA KANIK

TOP

ABOUT

Our Company Interest Based Ads

Newspaper Delivery Safety Procedures Terms of Use

Privacy Notice Advertising

Your California Privacy Rights Careers

CONTACT

Subscribe Frequently Asked Questions

e-Edition Newsroom Contacts

Archives Corporate Subscriptions

Customer Service

©2023 Hearst Newspapers, LLC