White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday discussed the brutal slaying of five people in Texas without noting the fugitive accused of the heinous crime is an illegal immigrant who had previously been deported four times.
During her daily briefing, Jean-Pierre provided an update on the manhunt currently underway for 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, the Mexican national accused of gunning down five people – including a nine-year-old boy – inside a home in Cleveland, Texas, last Friday.
The White House spokeswoman called for more stringent gun control measures – but not immigration controls – in the wake of the tragedy.
“In all, five people were murdered by an individual armed with a powerful AR-15-style rifle,” Jean-Pierre said from the White House briefing room podium.
“The president was briefed on the shooting on Saturday morning, and he and the first lady are praying for those killed in the attack, for their surviving loved ones, and for the broader Cleveland community,” she went on.
“But the President believes prayers alone are not enough. Congress must act, because what makes tragedies like this one all the more heart-wrenching is the fact that it is entirely within our power to take these weapons of war off our streets,” Jean-Pierre added.
The White House called for Congress to “act without delay” to pass more gun control measures in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting in Texas.Chris Kleponis / CNP / SplashNews.com
“The majority of Americans and the majority of gun owners support commonsense measures to reduce gun violence. The president continues to believe that Congress must act without delay. It’s not too late to save lives and prevent the next mass shooting,” she said before moving on to other issues.
The accused shooter has reportedly been deported four times since 2009.
Oropesa was first apprehended and deported by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March 2009, according to an ABC News report.
He was then deported a second time in September 2009, and a third time in January 2012 after he was convicted in Montgomery County for driving while intoxicated.
His fourth deportation occurred in July 2016.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was reportedly in the country illegally at the time of the shooting.FBI/AFP via Getty Images
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has said Oropesa was in the country illegally at the time of Friday night’s shootings.
It is unclear how Oropesa may have obtained the weapon allegedly used in the killings.
The FBI acknowledged Sunday it had “zero leads” in its search for Oropesa, who according to authorities opened fire on his neighbors after he was asked to stop firing off rounds in his yard.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/05/01/white-house-fails-to-mention-fugitive-francisco-oropesa-is-an-illegal-immigrant/