Current extreme crimes are gaining a massive amount of media attention nationwide that includes uncensored camera footage. That leaves some people scared and anxious whether they have seen the footage or not. Within almost a month, four crimes including school shootings have been a serious topic within all social platforms and media news.
On Aug. 22, a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman was stabbed multiple times from behind while sitting on a commuter train in North Carolina and was pronounced dead as the attacker fled the scene. Footage of the incident was released, and it became a popular topic after finding out the victim, Iryana Zarutska, came to the U.S. as a refugee.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr. is facing first-degree murder charges and could possibly be facing the death penalty. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform, saying, “Poor girl, first of all, she didn’t do anything. She just came and sat down, that’s it, and then this guy felt the need to take her life, for absolutely no reason.”
On Sept. 10, a man was arrested for beheading a Dallas motel manager in front of the victim’s spouse and child.
As footage was collected at the scene, the uncensored footage quickly began gaining nationwide attention alongside other crimes being committed across the U.S. “I felt like it wasn’t real. I was in shock. It felt like a fever dream,” said Marlene Lopez, a Richland Campus student researching more about the beheading.
The suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, is a Cuban immigrant with two charges under his name for auto theft and assault charges. He is now facing a capital murder charge in Dallas County Jail and in immigration hold for killing the victim, Chandra Nagamallaiah.
Charlie Kirk, a political activist, was assassinated on Sept. 10. He was shot from a rooftop during an event hosted at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Videos of Kirk’s death circulated on social media. The suspect in the assassination, Tyler Robinson, was charged with aggravated murder with a possible chance of facing a death penalty.
A fatal shooting occurred on Sept. 24 at a Dallas ICE facility, killing two detainees, and injuring one other. The shooter was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Bullets with the words “anti-ICE” were found on a rooftop. According to authorities, the shooter’s motive was to terrorize ICE agents across the country.
“I think the motivation has changed. Political violence is rising,” said Ray Harris, a student at Richland campus.
Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz spoke about the rise in violence at the Dallas ICE facility news conference, saying, “This needs to stop. Violence is wrong, politically motivated violence is wrong.”
Large numbers of people and especially students are now unsure as to where they go, who they go out with, or even think ahead of what could possibly happen as they attend public functions. Diego Estrada, a student at Richland campus, said, “It prevented me from going out with people, making me untrustworthy with new people.”
