http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/san-francisco-killing/
Gun used in San Francisco killing belonged to federal agent, source says
San Francisco (CNN)The shooting death of a San Francisco woman had already fueled a fresh round of fierce debate over U.S. immigration policies. Now a new detail in the investigation adds another dimension to the discussion.
The gun used in the killing of Kate Steinle belonged to a federal agent, a source with knowledge of the investigation said.
It wasn't immediately clear what federal agency the gun was tied to, how it ended up in the hands of the alleged shooter or whether the revelation about where the weapon came from would affect the case.
"It doesn't in terms of charging this defendant," CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos said, "but it may mean that somebody else is going to be on the hook, and soon."
The undocumented immigrant who's accused in the killing earlier told CNN affiliate KGO-TV that he found the gun wrapped inside a T-shirt on the ground.
Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, who has a felony record and has been deported to Mexico five times, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and weapons charges. His bail was set at $5 million.
Flanked by several public defenders and a translator, he seemed to struggle to understand what was going on in court, answering the judge's questions about court dates by repeating that he was not guilty.
At Tuesday's arraignment hearing, a prosecutor described Lopez-Sanchez as a danger to the public as she asked the judge to set as high a bail as possible.
"People are concerned about public safety," Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia said. "This was an act of random violence. And the defendant claimed to have found this gun shortly before just firing it at somebody at close range, shooting an innocent victim in the back."
Kate Steinle died last Wednesday after being shot while walking at a San Francisco pier.
Kate Steinle died last Wednesday after being shot while walking at a San Francisco pier.
Matt Gonzalez, a public defender representing Lopez-Sanchez, said it's very likely the shooting was accidental and stressed that his client was not a violent person.
"There was no motive whatsoever for this defendant to cause any harm to the deceased," he said. "He did not know her. There's no allegation that this was any kind of crime, such as a robbery attempt or anything like that."
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. But already the controversial case has drawn the attention of politicians campaigning for the nation's top job, casting a spotlight on U.S. immigration laws and what role local authorities should play in enforcing them.
The key question: Did San Francisco policies set the stage for the shooting, putting a criminal on the street instead of into the hands of federal authorities who could have deported him again?...(more)
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