The killing of a Georgia medical student was elevated to a social gathering place in the 2024 presidential race due to an unplanned clash between President Joe Biden and a Georgia congressman at Thursday evening’s State of the Union speech.
In the weeks since her death on February 22 while jogging in a garden on the University of Georgia school, Laken Hope Riley, 22, has become the experience of immigration reform for some conservatives.
At the State of the Union address, Biden held up a button with Riley’s label on it as U. S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted from the exhibition:” Say her name”!
HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW
Immigration has become a key campaign matter, squabbling the country and putting resources strain on resources in New York, Chicago, Boston, and other cities after immigrants immigrate there and in communities across the country who have crossed the country’s southern boundary.
Democrats claim that some illegal immigrants are no investigated and improperly deported, putting American people at risk. As the 2024 presidential election draws to a close, they have taken advantage of the Georgia case to make those states.
Riley’s shooting is “gonna transform this vote as much as anything”, U. S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, an alliance of former President Donald Trump, said soon after her death.
” That’s a parent’s worst nightmare”, the South Carolina Republican said.
WHO WAS LAKEN RILEY?
Riley was born and raised in Atlanta’s north cities, graduated from River Ridge High School in Cherokee County, where she competed cross-country, and then attended the University of Georgia in Athens. She later transferred to the medical school of Augusta University, where she enrolled in classes at its sprawling Athens college. She continued to volunteer for the college at UGA.
” Her laugh was exceedingly infectious, and she spread happiness to others outside she went”, according to her article, which added that she loved nursing and caring for people.
Woodstock City Church, one of the area’s largest temples, had hundreds of people attend her death.
” Her passion for bringing God’s word to the church led her to go on mission visits.” Her devotion to God was demonstrated in every aspect of her life, according to her article.
Riley was referred to as” an excellent scholar athlete” who inspired fellow students and teachers, according to Cherokee County director Brian Hightower in a statement.
With the tragic passing of Laken, our society and our planet lost a brilliant light,” Hightower said.
THE KILLING OF LAKEN RILEY
On the UGA college, Riley was attacked close to running trails. According to authorities, a colleague of hers reported to police that she had not returned from a day work.
At a press conference, University of Georgia Police Chief Jeff Clark claimed that she passed away from blunt force trauma in the invasion and that no one had any connection to the person who had killed her before the murder.
” This was a crime of chance where he saw an adult, and bad things happened”, Clark said.
THE Think
According to a national affidavit obtained by The Associated Press, Athens homicide detectives took a picture of a possible suspect who wore a peculiar Adidas hat hours after Riley was killed, according to a security camera.
That eventually led them to an off-campus apartment complex where they began scouring the grounds and a nearby Dumpster and began compiling information about Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra, 26, who they identified as a citizen. Immigration officials claim that Ibarra entered the country without authorization and was permitted to remain. He unlawfully crossed into the U. S. in 2022, authorities said.
He faces charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another. He’s being held in a jail in Athens.
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S REACTION
Shortly after the killing, Trump posted on his social media site,” Crooked Joe Biden’s Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens! The University of Georgia’s horrible murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley should have NEVER occurred.
” He’s an animal that came in”, Trump added on Michigan’s WFDF radio station.
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S REACTION
The White House extended “deepest condolences” to Riley’s family after her killing.
According to spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández, “people should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found guilty.”
Rep. Greene, a hardline Republican who wore a red Trump MAGA hat to the State of the Union address, confronted Biden as he entered the House on Thursday.
Say her name, the phrase used by activists after the death of George Floyd and others at the hands of police, was pressed into Biden’s hand.
Midway through Biden’s speech, Greene pointed her finger and jabbed it toward Biden, shouting from the gallery,” Say her name”!
Biden then held up the button and said Riley’s name.
REP. GREENE’S REACTION
Greene took to Facebook on Friday to blast Biden’s address as “divisive” and “angry”.
In a Facebook post, Greene criticized Biden for finally acknowledging Laken Riley’s murder by an illegal that HE allowed in our nation, referring to how Biden appeared to have spelt Riley’s first name.
Greene claimed in a separate post on Thursday night that she also offered a pin to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. She said,” He refused to give me her name and to take the pin.”
WHERE IS THE CASE NOW?
Ibarra is still incarcerated in the Athens- Clarke County Jail. Ibarra’s public defender stated in a court filing on February 28 that he was not currently seeking bond.
___
Kate Brumback, an Associated Press writer in Atlanta, contributed to this report.
