Sanctuary for killers: Illegal immigrant deported 5x admits killing Kathryn Steinle; Says it was an 'accident' [video]

Greg P. | 9:25 PM on July 05, 2015

Francisco Sanchez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico deported from the U.S. an astonishing five times, has admitted in an interview with ABC 7 that he shot and killed Kate Steinle at a popular San Francisco tourist spot Wednesday night.

But it was, according to Sanchez, an accident:

EXCLUSIVE: Man accused in SF Pier 14 shooting admits to crime, says it was an accident. http://t.co/RNqNAz2YLu pic.twitter.com/7Ta4eDpcVM

— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) July 6, 2015

Sanchez says he found the gun wrapped in a T-shirt and that it went off when he picked it up:

Barnard: “Where did you get the gun?”
Sanchez: “In the ground. When the… when the… over there in the bench, um, um, I put my leg and I see the one T-shirt and then see over there something like that.”

He claims a gun was wrapped in that T-shirt and that it went off when he picked it up.

“Then suddenly I heard that boom boom, three times,” Sanchez said.

It fired three times by accident?

And this should ignite the “sanctuary city” debate as this seems to indicate that Sanchez traveled to the San Francisco area because he knew he’d be safe there:

Barnard: “Why did you keep coming back to the U.S., why did you come back to San Francisco?”
Sanchez: “Because I was looking for jobs in the restaurant or roofing, landscaping, or construction.”

Sanchez said he knew San Francisco was a sanctuary city where he would not be pursued by immigration officials.