It’s a disgrace. It’s a perversion of justice. Last night, the man that shot and killed Kate Steinle was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who was known as Francisco Sanchez at the time of his arrest, shot Steinle while she was walking on a pier in San Francisco with her father in 2015. He had been deported multiple times, but picked San Francisco due to their sanctuary city status. Steinle’s tragic death put the whole issue of sanctuary cities in the crosshairs. The Trump administration has tried to cut off grant money to cities that continue the policy, which has been sidelined by the courts.
Horrifying verdict on Steinle murderer. Politics trumps evidence in California once again.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 1, 2017
A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2017
Would argue the verdict in the Steinle shooting is irrelevant to the point that Jose Zarate still should not have been in the country.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) December 1, 2017
It is a federal felony, up to 10 yrs’ imprisonment, to be an illegal alien in possession of firearm (18 USC secs.922(g), 924). DOJ should indict Zarate if haven’t already. Sentence consecutive to today’s state gun conviction could keep him in prison 13 yrs or so.
— Andrew C. McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) December 1, 2017
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro was on with Fox News’ Shannon Bream to discuss the verdict last night, where he aptly noted that the notion that an illegal alien can commit crimes and continue to re-enter the U.S. is the reason why Trump won. Leah wrote earlier today that the DOJ might bring more federal charges against Zarate, specifically for the firearm offense, which he was found guilty of last night. Zarate previously was incarcerated for a drug charge prior to the Steinle shooting. Shapiro added that this verdict should only give the Trump administration more incentive to build the wall (via The Hill):
He was out, he picked up a gun. He stole a gun, presumably, and then he shot Kate Steinle,” Shapiro said to Shannon Bream on "Fox News at Night."
“Whether he meant to shoot her or whether he just meant to discharge the firearm is no consequence. When you pick up that gun and you know that it has the possibility of firing and it fires, this is the very best involuntary manslaughter," he continued.
Shapiro pivoted to the political ramifications of the verdict while citing it as a primary reason President Trump, who made illegal immigration and border security a central theme during the 2016 campaign, won the election.
“The basic notion that an illegal immigrant can commit crimes in this country and then re-enter the country at will is why President Trump won and that’s why President Trump ought to push for the construction of that barrier and ought to make sure that the American people are safe from predators like this one,” he concluded.