LA Times reports: "Texas school shooter killed girl who turned down his advances and embarrassed him in class, her mother says.
UGH!!!!!
A few months ago I created a video that outlined possible solutions to this devastating problem.
I made the mistake of not honing in enough on one of the largest issues.... toxic masculinity and male entitlement. Let me say it again for those in the back TOXIC MASCULINITY AND MALE ENTITLEMENT.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the teenager who walked into Santa Fe High School in Texas and gunned down eight students and two teachers last Friday had apparently been rejected by one of his victims — a fact that fueled his murder spree.
Sadie Rodriguez, the mother of 16-year-old Shana Fisher told the Los Angeles Times that her daughter had rejected Pagourtzis’ aggressive advances for four months before the girl “finally stood up to him and embarrassed him in class.” In a private Facebook message to the Times, Fisher wrote, “a week later he opens fire on everyone he didn’t like,” adding, “Shana being the first one.”
According to multiple news and victim accounts, Pagourtzis repeatedly taunted students during the attack, focusing mostly on the first period art class where Fisher was.
The issue at hand here is our nation’s prevalent culture of toxic masculinity and male entitlement. A teenage girl stuck up for herself after months of harassment, and there are still those who explain away her killer’s behavior by labeling him a spurned lover.
Many on Twitter took serious issue with the way the Los Angeles Times posited the story.
Many felt as though the headline placed the burden of blame on the victim, rather than the attacker.
As these shootings become more prevalent, it's easy to become desensitized. This is the first where I had a close degree of separation. My niece used to attend Santa Fe High School. Fortunately she transferred to Asheville two years ago, otherwise she would've been there, like her cousin Angelique, who was murdered. It won't be long until every family is directly affected by these school shootings.