White House press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that the death of slain Navy SEAL William ‘Ryan’ Owens would be investigated, responding to comments made by his father Bill Owens calling it a “stupid mission.”
“I can’t possibly imagine what he’s going through in terms of the loss of a son,” Spicer said during the White House press briefing. “I can tell him that on behalf of the president, his son died a hero.”
Spicer asserted that the intelligence gathered during the raid would “save American lives” and he thanked the family for their sacrifice. The father of Owen refused to meet the president after the death of his son, calling it a “stupid” mission during an interview with The Miami Herald.
Spicer also reminded reporters that the mission would go through a thorough review, as part of the standard operating procedure for the Defense Department.
“There will be three reviews done by the Department of Defense because of the nature of this,” Spicer said. “But, again, I can’t stress enough that on behalf of the president, on behalf of this nation, we express our condolences, extend our prayers to him during this time.”