After local authorities confirmed the suspect of the Youtube shooting was a woman, the CNN’s screen reads: “Female Suspect Dead,” and on-air personalities speculated as to reasons for the incident.
One personality, CNN’s crime and justice reporter Shimon Prokupecz, speculated on The Situation Room that the motivation for the shooting was “perhaps a love triangle.” Ongoing conversations centred on the possibility of the shooter reacting to a relationship gone bad.
The coverage was immediately called out as odd on Twitter, with many pointing out Porkupecz’s “love triangle” remark in particular.
Twitter user @rogueflynn51 writes: “Love the @cnnbrk reporter’s conjecture, once he found out the #youtube shooter was female, that the shooting was due to a #lovetriangle. Yes, and she was probably having her period too.”
Also, Colleen Nika @colleennika, an NYC-based writer after advising that everyone at Youtube stay safe also writes: “Of course since the YouTube shooter is a woman, terms like “crime of passion” & “love triangle” are already being used. Stop spinning webs”
Despite these and a number of other reactions, CNN is yet to respond to the reactions of the people as regards The “sexist” reporter.
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