House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) wants the immigration history of Mohamed Barry, the Guinea national who attacked diners at an Ohio restaurant with a machete earlier this month.

Barry was shot and killed by police shortly thereafter.

“Media reports indicate that Barry entered the restaurant looking for the owner, an Israeli immigrant, who was not present,” Goodlatte wrote in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Sec. Jeh Johnson Monday. “Barry returned later in the evening wielding a machete and yelled, ‘Allahu Akbar!’ before beginning his rampage, hacking and slashing people as they ate in the restaurant.”

The FBI is investigating the attack as possible terrorism.

Barry is dead. However, according to Goodlatte, how he was granted access to the U.S. and remained here in spite of an FBI investigation of him four years ago over his radical Islamic views —  is pertinent.

“Based on the available evidence, Barry’s savagery bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack,” he wrote in his letter. “Terrorism and the threat of terrorist violence remain very real concerns to Americans.  In light of the fact that Barry was a resident alien, who was known to federal law enforcement as a result of his radical Islamic views, it is unclear whether the Department of Homeland Security took all appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of the American public.”

Goodlatte requested Barry’s alien registration number, his alien file, and all documents pertaining to DHS’ available knowledge of him — including “criminal history, immigration history, immigration benefits applications, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek the removal of Barry from the United States.” As well as any time law enforcement encountered Barry, the nature of the encounter, and the reasons for possible releases from custody.

Read the letter:

Dear Secretary Johnson:

I write to request case information on Mohamed Barry, the alien who savagely attacked restaurant patrons with a machete in Columbus, Ohio on February 11, 2016.  After the attack, Barry was shot and killed by police when he lunged at the officers with the machete.  Media reports indicate that Barry entered the restaurant looking for the owner, an Israeli immigrant, who was not present.  Barry returned later in the evening wielding a machete and yelled, “Allahu Akbar!” before beginning his rampage, hacking and slashing people as they ate in the restaurant.

According to media reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the crime as a possible terrorist attack.  Reports also indicate that the FBI investigated Barry four years ago for expressing radical Islamic views.  Reportedly, Barry was born in Guinea and the FBI has confirmed that he was a permanent resident of the United States.

Based on the available evidence, Barry’s savagery bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.   Terrorism and the threat of terrorist violence remain very real concerns to Americans.  In light of the fact that Barry was a resident alien, who was known to federal law enforcement as a result of his radical Islamic views, it is unclear whether the Department of Homeland Security took all appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of the American public.

Therefore, please provide the following information:

1.      The alien registration number for Mohamed Barry, his complete alien file (A-file), and all reports or notifications generated by DHS or in its possession about him, whether currently in written or electronic form, including, but not limited to, the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Executive Summary, criminal history, immigration history, immigration benefits applications, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek the removal of Barry from the United States.

2.      Please identify each and every date on which Barry was encountered by a law enforcement agency in the United States, to include criminal and civil arrests, the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, the disposition of that charge, the date on which Barry was released from the custody of that law enforcement agency, and the reason(s) for the release.

Please provide all of the requested information to me as soon as possible, but not later than March 10, 2016.  If you cannot comply by the referenced date, please provide an update on the status of this request and the expected date of compliance prior to March 10, 2016.

As you know, the Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of information to Committees of Congress.  If you cannot fully respond to each and every request for documents or information set forth above, please identify the specific item requested to which you cannot fully respond and explain why you cannot respond.

If you have any questions about this request, please contact Tracy Short, Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, at (202) 225-3926.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte

Chairman