Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is getting big blowback for identifying the victims of a Friday mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, as “illegal immigrants” in the same statement in which he offered condolences to their loved ones.
Abbott released a statement on Sunday offering a $50,000 reward for information regarding the shooter, who authorities say “could be anywhere” by now. The governor also offered condolences to the families, but not before the statement identified the victims as “illegal immigrants.”
Police identified the victims as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the victims’ citizenship status.
“Five human beings lost their lives and Greg Abbott insists on labeling them ‘illegal immigrants,'” Julián Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development Secretary.
On Monday, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa released the following statement on Greg Abbott’s response to this weekend’s mass shooting in San Jacinto County:
“There is no limit to the depravity of Greg Abbott and his Texas Republican cronies. To use a mass shooting, in which five innocent souls were slaughtered execution-style – including an 8-year-old – to fearmonger and lie about migrants and the victims’ immigration status… this type of sick behavior is truly beyond the pale.
“It might be hard for Republicans to believe, but neither the immigration status of the shooter or the victims has literally one iota of relevance right now. What matters is that (1) this gunman is still at large, (2) a Texas community is once again devastated by a mass shooting and needs Texans’ love and prayers, and (3) we will continue living in fear so long as we continue to allow our streets to be flooded with battlefield-ready weapons.
“Enough is enough. Getting an AR-15 is too damn easy in this state. No one can sensibly say that someone this evil should have been able to get their hands on this gun – or any gun. We need gun safety reform in this state – and we need it right now. We’re in the middle of the legislative session as we speak, there is no excuse. Do your job, Governor. Do something.”
