On July 18, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts went missing after going for a jog in Brooklyn, Iowa.
Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, had been staying in Brooklyn with her boyfriend for the summer. After an extensive search that lasted over a month, her body was found on Aug. 21 in a cornfield.
Investigators had received a break in the case of her disappearance after pulling surveillance footage from a neighbor of Tibbetts being followed by a man in a car while jogging. The man who was seen following Tibbetts was Cristhian Bahena Rivera, an undocumented immigrant, who confessed to murdering Tibbetts after she told him to leave her alone.
Tibbetts’ murder has sparked a national debate about violence against women and illegal immigration in the United States. While members of Tibbetts family, most notably her aunt, have asked politicians not politicize her death, some have continued to do so. Others have made a comparison to the murder of Nia Wilson, a black teenager who was killed at random while waiting for a BART Train by a white man. Activists have questioned the lack of response Wilson’s death received from politicians.
Senior Kylie McPherson feels that President Trump’s response to the death of Mollie Tibbetts was uncalled for: “I think that the President’s response is incredibly inconsiderate and disrespectful. Not only did he continue to talk about her death even after being asked not to, but he used it as a way to try to convince people that all immigrants are dangerous and need to leave the country, which shouldn’t have even been the focal point in the first place.”
Three are dead, including the gunman, after a shooting at a Madden gaming convention in Jacksonville, Florida. The suspected gunman, David Katz, had lost the tournament when he returned during the final round and began firing. A live stream of the tournament caught the moment when Katz began firing.
Sophomore Naya Salah is concerned about the increase of mass shootings: “The increase of mass shootings is disheartening and really disappointing. I’m not afraid of certain places, but the thought of shooting happening where I am has occurred. The increase of shootings makes it hard for America to feel like a safe place to be and live. Everyone should feel safe especially in the country they live in, and I’m tired of the excuses that are made when something needs to be done.”
