WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), shared the following statement on incidents that resulted loss of life in New Orleans and Las Vegas:
"I am devastated, as I know we all are, over the loss of life in the recent incidents in Louisiana and Nevada.
My thoughts are with those who lost their lives and those who grieve for them. My thoughts are also with the law enforcement agents of all levels — local, state, and national — who are now processing the scenes and working through the forensics and timelines of both events. I am grateful to them, as I know we all are, for the work they do.
I think it’s important that we keep in mind that these events are mere hours old and it will take time to understand what transpired and to develop plans to prevent events such as these from happening in the future.
This morning, I participated in a call for all committee members of both the House and the Senate who have jurisdiction over this. As a member of both the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, here’s what I learned:
The two events appear to be completely unrelated.
Both men were Americans, and both were members of the armed services.
There is no apparent connection to illegal immigration or equipment that recently crossed borders.
Though both men served on the same base at the same time, as of now, there’s no indication that they knew one another, and there is certainly no indication that they planned anything together.
In the case of the event in New Orleans, there was no apparent hint of the perpetrator’s intent of this or any other plan until literally hours before the event itself. As of now, we know the perpetrator was inspired by ISIS but had no formal mandate or connection with the group.
The events are very recent, and law enforcement is working with the purpose of getting answers, and they need the resources and time to do so.
Engaging in conspiracies or rushing to judgment is a disservice to those who were lost. It is a disservice to those who work tirelessly on our behalf to keep us safe. And politicizing events such as these is truly irresponsible and un-American. This is a developing situation, and I will continue in my oversight capacity to track developments and keep you updated as appropriate," said Houlahan.
