NY Post headline slammed for saying illegal murder suspect 'panicked' when Laken Riley fought back

The New York Post published an article claiming that the illegal immigrant charged with murder over the death of Laken Riley, a nursing student at Georgia's Augusta University, allegedly killed Riley because he "panicked" when the victim fought back.

The outlet is being slammed for attempting to "humanize" illegal immigrant murder suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, with some describing the piece as the "worst headline of the year."

"It's not even the end of February and I think we've got a contender for the worst headline of the year," Raw Egg Nationalist wrote on X.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been arrested and charged for the killing of Laken Riley. Riley, 22, had been found dead in a wooden area at the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA) campus on Thursday.

Riley was out for a jog on UGA's campus at the time she was attacked and allegedly killed by Ibarra, according to authorities. Ibarra was arrested and taken into custody on Saturday. Authorities revealed that Ibarra is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who entered the US through El Paso, Texas in September.

Ibarra reportedly "disfigured" Riley's skull. Police said they found evidence consistent with blunt force trauma to the head.

"Journos are trying to humanize the animal who murdered Laken Riley. 'He likely panicked and bashed in her skull' is a real quote from this article. You don't hate the media enough," said Washington DC Young Republicans National Committeewoman Kingsley Wilson on X, calling out the NYP.

Ibarra was booked into Clarke County Jail. He has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, and other criminal violations including kidnapping.

Ibarra had a prior arrest on child endangerment charges in New York City just months before allegedly killing Riley. However, the case was quickly dismissed and the records were sealed.

In addition to the New York Post, other mainstream media journalists have been seemingly running cover for Ibarra, using Riley's tragic death to call out "hate" and "xenophobia," instead of holding Biden's illegal immigration disaster responsible for her death.

CNN opinion columnist, Raul Reyes, wrote a piece titled, "Laken Riley deserves justice - not to be exploited as a symbol of xenophobia or hate." 

Reyes argued that "Riley's death is a tragic loss to her family and community. The conflation of her killing with a migrant crime wave, however, is misplaced."

"Any narrative that portrays undocumented immigrants generally as violent criminals is harmful and inaccurate," he said, despite the vast increase in violent crime carried out by illegal immigrants over the past few months across the US.

Another X user called Reyes' piece "evil."

"All of you people are simply evil. There is no other way to explain it," they said.