Kendra Childs (Twitter)
A woman wound up dead Tuesday afternoon after her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend allegedly shot her. The incident left the online world wondering when officials will take social media threats to heart.
Houston police confirmed the news to KPRC-TV in Texas. They received a call at around 12:20 p.m. at a local apartment complex reporting a drive-by-shooting.
Sgt. Mark Holbrook said a car identified as a Black Camaro with tinted windows drove through the parking lot. Officials said a man and a woman were in the vehicle.
Then, someone fired at least five rounds into a second-story window. The shots killed a woman later identified as 19-year-old Kendra Childs.
Childs left behind a young daughter. Conflicting reports say the girl’s age is either 1 or 2.
Investigators told KTRK the victim was at home alone when the shooting occurred and died before her boyfriend came back from work. It was then that he discovered the body.
Angel Whitaker, a cousin of Childs,’ told the news station she felt “very broken” over the young mother’s death. Whitaker added Childs’ birthday was today.
As authorities work to identify the suspect, social media sleuths have settled on a Twitter user by the name of linglingbaby. Many on Twitter shared their condolences and concern using the hashtag #RIPKendra.
HBCUSisters shared screenshots of linglingbaby’s tweets about a plan to “plot for a year” to “kill them people.” It is unclear if Childs was part of the targeted group.
A tweet from January also contains a threat. It reads in part, “I’ll real life kill you.”
https://twitter.com/HbcuSis/status/776031503671238656
Because of the purported shooter’s tweets, many questioned why the threats were not taken seriously.
J’Wan Yvette tweeted threats should be heeded.
And the crazy part is the chick threatened her on social media and no one reported it. We need to take these threats seriously #ripkendra
— J'Wan Yvette | Justified Madness (@jwanyvette1) September 14, 2016
Sharon Cheatham also spread the call to take action.
Threats should be taken more seriously. Human life has never been of value to some. #ripkendra #dating #relationships
— DatingINV (@DatingINV) September 14, 2016
Western Blonde questioned why authorities didn’t prevent the incident.
https://twitter.com/PrettyInCamo_/status/776074518737530880
And QUEEN C tweeted the public should not ignore death threats.
https://twitter.com/clllarke/status/776078115336577025
Tenebris Ambulemus deemed the act “disgusting.”
https://twitter.com/Ambulemus/status/776072174184652800
Meanwhile, NUFF$AID urged Twitter users to report threats made by others on the social media site.
If you see someone on Twitter threatening someone else's life or conspiring murder, please report it. You can help save a life. #RIPKendra 🙏
— NUFF (@nuffsaidny) September 14, 2016
Users also discussed the problem with glorifying unstable women.
@chilloutjoyrdan derided the act that some deem “cute.”
https://twitter.com/chilloutjoyrdan/status/775997536020471809
@melaninangel said she was “sick” about the young daughter losing her mother over what she called a “crazy girlfriend trend.”
https://twitter.com/melaninangeI/status/776028017327955968
