Fort Worth man’s family worried for his safety after he was mistakenly identified as a gunman in a mass shooting
The FBI’s recent mistake of misidentifying the suspected shooter who murdered five people near Houston last Friday has triggered fear and outrage from a Fort Worth man and his family. Francisco Oropeza’s photo was initially released by the FBI, with his name spelled incorrectly as opposed to the suspect’s surname, which created confusion and chaos for his family as they received death threats over the weekend.
Ororpeza, who just started a new job in North Texas last week, is a married man with children. However, the inaccurate information released by the FBI has left his entire family feeling uncertain and unsure of their own safety, with fears that someone could identify him and then take matters into their own hands.
The FBI’s blunder in misidentifying the alleged shooter, who is a wanted fugitive for killing five of his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas has led the Oropeza family to experience an immense amount of stress and turmoil, with incorrect screenshots and articles continuing to circulate all over the web, despite the FBI’s attempts to correct their mistake.
At an FBI Sunday afternoon press conference, James Smith, Special Agent in the FBI’s Bureau Chief of Houston acknowledged the mistake and expressed regrets for the FBI’s oversight in releasing the wrong photo. He admitted that the FBI had identified and acted promptly to correct the error. However, the Oropeza family still wait for an FBI agent who was supposed to arrive at their residence on Sunday.
The Oropeza family’s difficult experience highlights the severe implications of mistaken identity in publicized cases. Oropeza’s sister-in-law emphasized that the FBI should have done a better job and conducted proper research before releasing any information that can endanger someone’s life. The Oropeza family is hoping that the FBI will take full responsibility and provide appropriate remedies for their distressing ordeal.
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