San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee speaks publicly about deadly Pier 14 shooting

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is speaking publicly about the firestorm surrounding last week's deadly shooting on Pier 14, and San Francisco's "Sanctuary City" ordinance.

"I'll be championing everything I can do to fulfill those gaps in honor of Kate Steinle's life," Mayor Lee said.

Thirty-two-year old Kate Steinle was shot and killed last Wednesday night as she strolled on Pier 14 with her father.

The man charged with her murder, 45-year old Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, is an undocumented immigrant who was released from county jail months before the shooting.

Mayor Lee said better communication could have prevented her death.

"A simple phone call from the Sheriff letting them (ICE) know we're about to notify them of a release of someone they gave us custody of would have been preventive of this," Lee said. He also had words for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I also have questions, too, about what's the role of Homeland Security when they handed over to our custody someone who had a two decades old drug offense."

ICE brought Sanchez to San Francisco to face a 20-year old drug charge for allegedly possessing $20 worth of marijuana. The charge was dropped and Sanchez freed, without honoring an ICE detainer.

"To use city resources to contact ICE is against our Sanctuary City ordinance," asserted Supervisor John Avalos. He said the Mayor needs to pick a side. "So either he's for the ordinance or he's not for the ordinance. He can't be on both sides of the ordinance, depending on the political winds that are happening right now."

Mayor Lee said he will be speaking with The Department of Homeland Security's Priority Enforcement Arm in the coming days, "about whether there be a better level of information sharing, cooperation if you will."