Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sparks Outrage After Referring to Mass Shooting Victims as 'Illegal Immigrants'
The five victims killed in Texas included 9-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso
While authorities continue to search for a man accused of fatally shooting five of his Texas neighbors — one of whom was a 9-year-old child — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is facing criticism for referring to the victims as simply, "illegal immigrants."
On Sunday, Abbott took to Twitter to share information about a $50,000 reward for information about the suspect.
"I've announced a $50K reward for info on the criminal who killed 5 illegal immigrants Friday," Abbott noted.
The victims have been identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.
Related:5 Dead, Including 9-Year-Old, in Texas 'Execution Style' Shooting by Alleged Drunk Gunman
As some reporters have clarified, at least one of the victims was a permanent U.S. resident, but the bigger issue, say critics, is that Abbott's words dehumanize the victims of the mass shootings.
"This is despicable," wrote Star Trek star George Takei. "I would have thought bringing up the immigration status of the innocent victims of this senseless violence would be beneath even you. But I was wrong."
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough also criticized Abbott, saying on his show Monday: "When you actually have a governor of one of the largest states in America feeling the need to be hateful, and to be callous after a mother tries to shield her 9-year-old child. Both are shot in the head and instead of even a hope and prayers tweet, he feels like he has to stamp a label on the dead bodies: illegal immigrant.
Others branded Abbott's tweet "tone deaf," noting that the victims were "5 human beings, who had families."
The shooting took place Friday night in Cleveland, Texas, 45 miles north of Houston, after a neighbor stormed a home and shot the victims.
According to a Texas man who survived the attack, the police had been called five separate times on the suspect, who was allegedly shooting rounds of ammunition from an assault weapon outside his home.
The San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office has identified the suspect as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, and the FBI's Houston Field Office is assisting in the ongoing search.
Police say they believe Oropeza fled the area on foot and that they've been searching neighborhood homes, asking locals for any help finding the suspect.
"My wife told me to go inside because 'He won't fire at me, I'm a woman,'" Wilson Garcia told the Associated Press. But Oropeza allegedly shot his wife, Sonia Argentina Guzman, at the front door, killing the 25-year-old mother before entering the home and firing at others.
Garcia said two women were shielding his other children with their bodies when they were shot and killed, as well. Before she was shot, one of the women told Garcia to jump out of a window and escape.
"She told me to throw myself out the window because my children were already without a mother," Garcia said, according to CNN. "So one of us had to stay alive to take care of them. She was the person who helped me jump out the window."
Abbott has been criticized in the past for his stance on gun policies, particularly as more than one mass shooting has occurred in his state in recent years.
In 2022, Uvalde, Texas, was the site of the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade. Abbott — who took office in 2015 and has since backed several measures to loosen gun laws during his time in office (including seven signed into law in June 2021) — was among a group of high-profile Republicans slated to appear at an NRA event days after that shooting. He ultimately canceled that appearance.
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