HOUSTON — "Law enforcement prevailed," Gov. Greg Abbott told KHOU 11's Marcelino Benito Tuesday night as the news broke that the accused gunman in a San Jacinto County mass shooting had been arrested.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, is accused of going on the deadly shooting rampage late Friday night after his neighbors asked him to stop shooting his gun on his property so a child could sleep. He was taken into custody near Cut and Shoot, Texas, on Tuesday after a dayslong manhunt.
Abbott was in the Houston area to speak at an event pushing for school choice on Tuesday, but his visit was overshadowed from the beginning by protestors who were upset about the governor's statement on the shooting in which he called the victims illegal immigrants.
FIEL Houston's Cesar Espinoza called Abbott a traitor, callous and heartless for the comments he made in a tweet. After the outburst, police escorted a handful of protesters out of the church as the governor's supporters cheered.
The Governor's Office had to walk back its comments earlier this week after learning one of the victims was a permanent resident, but they've issued no apology. The tweet also remains.
Tuesday night, the governor only expressed relief that the accused killer is in custody, making no mention of the victims.