A man who complained to his neighbor about shooting his gun in Texas has spoken out about his wife’s courageous act moments before she and four others were massacred on Friday night. Wilson Garcia spoke at a vigil in Cleveland, Texas, held on Sunday for his 9-year-old son, who was also killed, about the events leading up to the attack. Garcia said he didn’t even ask neighbor Francisco Oropesa to stop shooting—just to do it further away from Garcia’s house, where his month-old son was crying. But Oropesa declined the request. “He told us he was on his property, and he could do what he wanted,” Garcia said. When the shooting continued, Garcia says he and his family called police five times and were assured help was on the way each time. Around 10 to 20 minutes after speaking with Oropesa, Garcia said he saw the suspect running toward his house while reloading a gun. “I told my wife, ‘Get inside. This man has loaded his weapon,’” Garcia said. “My wife told me to go inside because ‘He won’t fire at me, I’m a woman.’” His wife, 25-year-old Sonia Argentina Guzman, was at the door when the shooter arrived. She was the first to die. Garcia’s son Daniel Enrique Laso was also killed, along with two women who tried to protect his baby and 2-year-old daughter. Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, was also killed. “I am trying to be strong for my children,” Garcia said through tears. “My daughter sort of understands. It is very difficult when she begins to ask for mama and for her [older] brother.” The FBI on Sunday said it had “zero leads” on Oropesa’s whereabouts.
