By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
In the aftermath of the weekend fatal shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, where two people were killed before the gunman—a naturalized citizen from Senegal wearing a hoodie declaring “Property of Allah”—was shot dead by police, it didn’t take long for the incident to be politicized.
Investigators are still trying to determine the motive which drove 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne to open fire Sunday, killing 19-year-old Ryder Harrington and 21-year-old Savitha Shan. There is speculation that the incident was triggered by Saturday’s bombing commencement in Iran.
The shooting left 14 others wounded, according to CNN.
But the main drama was being played out at the Texas Tribune, where it was reported that Republicans were “sharply critical” of this country’s naturalization process, while Democrats say tougher gun laws are necessary.
Diagne reportedly immigrated to the U.S. back in 2000 on a tourist visa, but by 2006 he had become a legal permanent resident. He was naturalized in 2013, according to the Tribune report.
The New York Post reported that Diagne had racked up arrests in New York City, first in 2001 and then between 2008 and 2016. The arrests are sealed, the Post reported.
But the Tribune reported that state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), argued on “X” about what should happen next. Talarico told Gov, Greg Abbot that “dangerous people should not be allowed into the country. Dangerous people should not be allowed to get guns. Texans understand this — you apparently don’t.”
Abbott is a pro-rights Republican who has supported the Second Amendment consistently during his time in office. During his exchange with Talarico, the governor stated, “The way to end it is to end the current open immigration policies. You and your immigration policies would make America less safe.”
Republican Congressman Chip Roy entered into the controversy, declaring “This is why we are losing our country, our immigration system is a joke, and should PAUSE ALL immigration.”
Meanwhile, the guns allegedly used by Diagne have not been identified so far, and it is not clear how he obtained them, although being a naturalized citizen, he could have legally purchased them.
Several signs point to the likelihood the shooting was an act of domestic terrorism, but that had not been confirmed by investigators.
