Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant from Ghana who died over the holidays trying to save people from a burning apartment building in the bronx
- President Donald Trump said that immigrants from Haiti and Africa come from "shithole" countries.
- Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant from Ghana and member of the Army National Guard, died while trying to save people from a building in the Bronx over the holidays.
- People are sharing his story as a way of rebuking Trump.
In the aftermath of President Donald Trump's comments that immigrants from Haiti and Africa come from "shithole" countries, users on Twitter are pointing out a story of an immigrant from Ghana who sacrificed his life to save others during a deadly fire in the Bronx over the holidays.
Emmanuel Mensah was a 28-year-old immigrant from Ghana who joined the Army National Guard. He was living with friends of his father - a married couple and their four children. When the fire started, he was able to get that family to safety, and then ran back into the building and pulled four more people from the fire to safety.
Mensah went in to grab a fifth person, but was not able to make it out of the building, and is believed to have died of smoke inhalation.
"I thought maybe he was coming back," Emmanuel's father, Kwabena Mensah, told CBS News. "Unfortunately, it turns out the other way."
Kwabena said he was not surprised by his son's final act.
"That's what I think, because it was in his nature," Kwabena said. "He wanted to help people out."
Now, Twitter users are posting Emmanuel Mensah's picture and sharing his story as a rebuke to Trump's reported Oval Office comments that African countries are "shitholes."
The most widely-shared tweet comes from conservative commentator Bill Kristol. Notably, the tweet was retweeted by Trump's presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton:
Veterans and other people connected to military service have also shared Emmanuel Mensah's story:
Two weeks ago a 26-year old soldier raced repeatedly into a burning Bronx apartment building, saving four people before he died in the flames. His name was Pvt. Emmanuel Mensah and he immigrated from Ghana, a country Donald Trump apparently thinks produces very subpar immigrants.
- Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) January 12, 2018Emmanuel Mensah was a @USArmy soldier who died saving the lives of residents of a burning apartment in the Bronx. He was an immigrant from Ghana.
Today, in a meeting about Africa, @realDonaldTrump said "Why do we want all these people from 'shithole countries' coming here?" pic.twitter.com/e39kaBzruI
- Vets Against Trump (@commondefense) January 12, 2018Private Emmanuel Mensah made the ultimate sacrifice by rescuing four people from a burning apartment building in Bronx.
He was an immigrant from Ghana.
We should be honored that he chose to call The United States home. pic.twitter.com/fP61fVibhf
- Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) January 12, 2018PFC Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant from GHANA, repeatedly rushed into a burning building in the Bronx.
He is credited with saving the lives of four people.
He died trying to rescue more.https://t.co/K8kK7DdgKQ pic.twitter.com/aF7ejCYC1n
- Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) January 12, 2018