Immigrants granted U.S. status under Biden charged in Katy youth baseball shooting, DHS says
DHS asserts the two men were admitted during the Biden administration; authorities say a coach was wounded during a pregame prayer at a youth game.
Two immigrants granted lawful U.S. status under the Biden administration are charged with firing toward a youth baseball game in Katy, Texas, according to a Department of Homeland Security statement. Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, 27, a Jordanian national, and Ahmad Mawed, 21, a Lebanese national, were each charged with deadly conduct with a firearm after authorities say they fired toward a baseball field during a pregame prayer at Ameripark's The Rac on Sunday. A coach was struck in the shoulder while attempting to shield a child; the coach was hospitalized and later released.
Both suspects were ordered held on $100,000 bond pending further proceedings. The shooting unfolded at Ameripark's The Rac youth baseball field in Katy as players from local teams prepared to take the field. Video and accounts from officials described three people firing from a nearby pasture toward the field as a game continued. The incident prompted a rapid response from local authorities, and the wounded coach was treated at Memorial Hermann Hospital in downtown Houston before being released. The Rac, a regional youth baseball complex, said the episode resulted from alleged illegal activity on a nearby property and emphasized that police were alerted to possible illegal hunting in the area.
The DHS statement said both individuals were admitted to the United States during the Biden administration. Matalgah was granted U.S. citizenship on Aug. 1, 2023, according to the agency, and Mawed received lawful permanent resident status via an IR-2 visa on June 3, 2021. An IR-2 visa is issued to the children of U.S. citizens. A third suspect, Mahmood Abdelsalam Rababah, 23, is also being charged in connection with the shooting.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the Biden administration for what she described as insufficient vetting of entrants, saying, Not only did Biden fail the American people by leaving our borders wide open to criminals, but he also legally allowed them to gain status and citizenship to terrorize our communities.
The incident has drawn attention to ongoing debates over visa policies and border security. The shooting occurred at a time when the State Department has emphasized that visa adjudications are national security decisions and that screening and vetting have become more stringent in recent years. A June State Department statement reiterated that every visa adjudication is a national security decision and that the United States must remain vigilant in the visa issuance process to ensure applicants do not pose a threat to Americans or to national interests.
Background notes from Fox News Digital include reporting on a broader discussion of immigration policy and security concerns. A Fox News Digital exclusive cited an immigration agent describing concerns in the wake of the shooting, highlighting the persistent political debates surrounding immigration and public safety. Critics have called for tighter vetting, while supporters emphasize the need for due process and humane immigration policies. Officials involved in this case have said the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges could follow as authorities review evidence and conduct interviews.