WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after learning last night that Sean and Brodie Copeland of Lakeway, Texas were among the victims of yesterday evening’s terror attack in Nice, France:

“Yesterday in Nice, France, the lives of Texans Sean and Brodie Copeland – a father and his 11-year-old son – were taken in the despicable attack at the hands of radical Islamic terrorists. Sean and Brodie, along with Brodie’s mother, stepbrother, and stepsister, were in France on vacation, enjoying the Bastille Day fireworks celebration during the time of the attack. My office is working closely with the Copeland family, along with federal and international officials, to swiftly bring surviving family members and the bodies of their loved ones home. 

“We are lifting the Copeland family up in prayer, along with all of the victims who are suffering because of this heinous act of terror. They are the victims of a radical theology fueled by hatred of freedom and Western civilization. Their hatred knows no boundaries. They are focused on one mission: kill the infidel. We cannot win the war on terror if we do not recognize that we are fighting radical Islamic terrorists motivated by this radical theology that mandates the forcible murder or submission to Sharia of those they deem infidels. 

“Our enemies have demonstrated time and again that they will not rest. Yesterday, their jihad, though waged in a foreign country, hit close to home, taking the lives of our fellow Texans. To honor the memory of the dozens of victims of this attack, to protect the safety and security of all Americans and preserve our free and open society, we also must not rest in our determination to defeat them.”

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