Dave Matthews used a break during a recent concert to deliver an emotional message about a fatal ICE shooting that has drawn national attention. The Dave Matthews Band frontman called out the use of deadly force while honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father and grandfather who died during an immigration operation in Houston.
The onstage remarks came as questions continued surrounding the circumstances of the shooting. While federal officials said the incident unfolded after Salgado Araujo allegedly tried to strike an officer with his vehicle, witnesses have disputed that account, fueling ongoing debate.
Dave Matthews criticized ICE during a concert while honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s memory
As per a clip circulating on X, Matthews paused his Camden, New Jersey, concert to reflect on violence before mentioning Salgado Araujo by name.
“I don’t know why we let people make excuses for why we should kill each other,” he told the crowd. “There’s always reasons that we should kill each other. We tell our children to use their words, but then when they grow up, they wonder what’s wrong with us.”
He then addressed the Houston shooting directly, saying, “This father and grandfather who was murdered by ICE in Houston, Texas. Then they say he’s not even the guy they were looking for! Well then, don’t pull the trigger you assholes!” Matthews added that he wanted to dedicate the moment “to the memory of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.”
The audience responded with loud applause. The Independent noted that officials said Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the traffic stop and that the men traveling with him claimed immigration authorities later pressured them to sign deportation paperwork.
Federal authorities, however, offered a different account. Fox News reported that ICE said Salgado Araujo allegedly attempted to “weaponize” his vehicle by trying to run over an officer during the operation, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense.
This was not the first time Matthews publicly criticized ICE. Earlier this year, following the death of activist Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, he said, “I don’t want my taxes to pay for ICE, to masked thugs to roam our streets and terrorize our communities and rip families apart.” Another 26-year-old reportedly died during an ICE-related incident in Maine in the days following Salgado Araujo’s death.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF DAVE MATTHEWS USING HIS CONCERT TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE HOUSTON ICE SHOOTING?
Originally reported by Vanshika Vasundhare Singh on Mandatory
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