A gunman brutally murdered five people, including a 9-year-old child, in Texas last week. The alleged attacker, Francisco Oropesa, is an illegal immigrant and has been deported four times already. He should not be here.

Two days after the shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott 's (R-TX) office released a statement offering a reward for a "fugitive who is in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants." The next day, an Abbott spokesperson revised the information by stating , "we’ve since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally." Law enforcement captured Oropesa on Tuesday.

Abbott is the Republican governor of one of the largest states in the nation, which also happens to border Mexico. He can do no right in the eyes of the legacy media when it comes to the issue of immigration. Cracking down on illegal immigrants is somehow heartless or anti-American. And apparently, using the term "illegal immigrant" while describing the deceased is also wrong. To the governor's credit, his office amended the information to correctly reflect reality. But a complete retraction seems to be what the media and others want.

Every life is precious, so it's a tragedy when anyone, whether illegal immigrant or American citizen, is gunned down. This goes without saying. Oropesa's alleged actions were evil on their own; they aren't more deranged because of his immigration status. The five victims were Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Obdulia Molina Rivera, 31; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso Guzman, 9. Only one, Alvarado, was a legal resident. But the others are not worth less because of their immigration status. They didn't deserve to be shot to death. Period.

There is nothing wrong with combining black-and-white facts of a horrific incident, including specifics about the victims, in conjunction with the underlying truth that murder is a profoundly immoral act. Part of Abbott's initial statement also read, "Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the five victims that were taken in this senseless act of violence. I thank the men and women in law enforcement who are tirelessly working to ensure this criminal is caught and brought to justice.”

Those words clearly convey heartfelt anguish at the tragedy and determination to hold the suspect accountable. Law enforcement didn't treat it with reduced priority. Those saying the governor is cruel and intended to dehumanize the victims are quick to ignore his full statement and the actions taken since then.

Immigration status is particularly relevant when it comes to the shooter. The violence in Cleveland, Texas, follows several recent, high-profile mass shootings in other states. Once again, there is a demand for stricter gun control laws. But the calls for gun control in the wake of Oropesa's alleged rampage are ironic, to say the least. Oropesa isn't supposed to be in the country. He was deported not once but four times.

If immigration laws meant to keep Francisco Oropesa out of the United States couldn't even do that, how would stricter gun control measures prevent, eradicate, or greatly reduce gun violence? Oropesa's neighbors asked him to keep the noise down. He allegedly committed a heinous act of violence as a result. He was not held back by any moral or legal code.

Observers may personally not have chosen to include the term "illegal immigrant" in descriptions of the Cleveland, Texas, victims. But that's quite different from saying Abbott willfully intended to belittle the deceased. Texas law enforcement swiftly acted to capture the suspect. The lives lost are mourned as innocent victims of violence. The uproar over language is nothing but partisan politics.

Kimberly Ross ( @SouthernKeeks ) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.