The family of slain San Francisco resident Kate Steinle announced plans Tuesday to pursue legal action against San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi and two government agencies for the murder, allegedly by an illegal alien, that drew the attention of the nation and spurred the introduction of “Kate’s Law.”
The Steinle family detailed that the lawsuit names not only San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, but also U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) according to KPIX 5 News (CBS San Francisco).
Accused killer Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez has said that he found the gun that was used in the shooting wrapped in a t-shirt next to a park bench. He confessed to the crime in a jailhouse interview, but has pleaded not guilty to murder, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Lopez-Sanchez had been released from custody in San Francisco shortly beforehand, despite a request from ICE to hold him. Lopez-Sanchez has stated that he chose San Francisco for what amounts to the city’s sanctuary policies on illegal immigration.
Kate’s brother Brad fought through emotions as he told the press Tuesday, “We’re here to make sure that a change is made so nobody has to endure the pain that my mom and dad and I to through on a daily basis because the system failed our sister and at this point nobody has taken responsibility, accountability, and nothing has changed.”
Brad Steinle and father Jim Steinle joined host Bill O’Reilly on Fox News Tuesday evening to explain their reasons for bringing the suit. O’Reilly asked father Jim if he had been contacted by California Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) or Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Steinle responded, “[T]he silence is defeaning.”
O’Reilly has been very vocal in his push for Kate’s Law, a piece of legislation that would provide more aggressive repercussions for re-entering the United States illegally after being deported.
Lopez-Sanchez is a five-time deportee and seven-time convicted felon. The gun he is believed to have used in shooting Kate has been identified as one that was reported stolen from a BLM agent not long before the shooting.
A Sheriff’s Department representative was not immediately available for comment.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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