Before I begin today’s story, I want to make one thing clear. I love Facebook. It allowed me to connect with people I haven’t in years. Also, a lot of people use Facebook for good. But some use it to glorify their evil acts. There was a murder on Facebook Live: When people stream evil.
So in Cleveland yesterday, one guy recorded his own murder on Facebook Live. His name is Steve Stephens, age 37. On Easter Sunday 2017, he asked a 74 year old man to say a name. Then, he shot 74-year-old Robert Goodwin in the head, killing him instantly. Not only did Steve Stevens stream the murder, he went even further.
He made several Facebook Live videos. He claimed to have killed 15 people that day. Then, he called it his own, personal ‘Easter Day slaughter’. Before this particular shooting, he bragged about killing 13 people. He said he was looking for number 14. Stevens targeted Robert Goodwin at random. He also told police he left 15 bodies in a warehouse. But Cleveland police can only confirm one murder: Mr. Robert Goodwin’s. Facebook took Stephens’ videos within hours afterwards. In a statement, a Facebook rep said, “This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook.”
But the damage is already out there. I was on my Facebook page last night, and I saw the videos with my own eyes. I didn’t dare click on the video, but just the still frame alone told this horrible, tragic crime. My Facebook friends talked about it. One threatened to unfriend anybody who put these videos on his page. However, Facebook made the right call in removing such horror. I believe in free speech as much as any American. But with freedom comes responsibility. No free society can allow sociopaths like Steve Stephens to post and brag about murder on Facebook Live. Yes, people use IT service for wonderful work. But unfortunately, evil is always lurking.
I regret to inform you that as of this writing, Steve Stephens is still at large. If you’re in the greater Cleveland area, and if you know anything about his whereabouts, please do the right thing. Please contact your local police. We need to get this psychopath off the streets! What do you think of Facebook’s decision to pull Steve Stephens’ videos?