President Donald Trump says it is “disgraceful” that former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed by a man who was in the United States illegally.
“So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday.
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He also used the slaying to call for more aggressive border control, writing, “This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!”
So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Jackson was hit by a pickup truck on Sunday morning while he was standing on the shoulder of a highway in Indiana.
The Indiana State Police told the Indianapolis Star the crash happened shortly before 4 a.m. Jackson was standing next to 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe near a stopped vehicle when a black Ford F-150 truck hit the emergency shoulder, striking and killing both men.
Officials believe the man driving the truck is 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala, a Guatemalan citizen who had been living in the U.S. illegally. Officials believe Orrego-Savala was drunk at the time of the crash and tried to flee the scene.
The suspect had also been previously deported on two separate occasions, as reported by The Washington Post.
“Orrego-Savala is in the United States illegally and has previously been deported on two occasions, in 2007 and again in 2009,” Sgt. John Perrine said in a statement. “State police investigators are working with U.S. Federal Immigration Officials and they have placed a hold on Orrego-Savala.”
Aside from his political take, Trump tweeted another message expressing his condolences for the loss of 26-year-old Jackson.
“My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken. @Colts,” Trump wrote in another tweet about the incident.
My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken. @Colts
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
The Indianapolis Colts released a statement on Jackson’s death, saying, “We were heartbroken to hear the news of Edwin Jackson’s passing. Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization. We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality.”
“He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization. We also understand that another person lost his life in the accident, only adding to our sorrow on this day,” the organization continued.
“We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both men during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.
